The President and Congress Wrangle over Troop Withdrawal

Host:

Lawrence O'Donnell

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How will House Democrats resolve their differences with Senate Democrats on an Iraq spending bill? How do they avoid the President's promised veto for any bill that has a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq? We talk about the stand-off in Washington and what it means on the ground in Iraq. Lawrence O'Donnell guest hosts. (An expanded version of this discussion originally aired earlier today on To the Point.)

The President is meeting with Congressional leaders today about the Iraq spending bill. The House of Representatives wants a time limit on funding the Iraq war, the Senate wants a nonbinding goal of troop withdrawal next year, and the President says he'll veto any bill with a hint of withdrawal in it. Polls indicate that a majority of Americans support Congressional Democrats' call for a timetable for withdrawal. Is there a way out of the deadlock? Can Democrats in the House and Senate resolve their differences over a withdrawal schedule? Can they eventually produce a bill the President will sign? What does the political struggle in Washington mean on the ground in Iraq? Lawrence O'Donnell guest hosts. (An extended version of this discussion was originally broadcast earlier today on To the Point.)

Guests:

Jonathan Weisman: Congressional Reporter for the Washington Post, @jonathanweisman
Scott Lilly: Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
Steven Simon: Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
Carlos Pascual: Vice President at the Brookings Institution

Underwriters

Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.

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