Congress expected to override veto

Posted: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:12 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: White House, Congress

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
That House vote to override the president's veto of a water resources bill (WRDA) will come sometime mid-afternoon today.

President Bush is expected to lose on an override vote for the first time of his presidency -- and by a significant margin.

The Senate would then act as early as tomorrow. There, too, the president is expected to lose. The bill would then become law over the president's objections.

The measure includes hundreds of projects large and small in congressional districts scattered all over country to be undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Administration cites the projects as wasteful spending, noting that the price of the bill has skyrocketed to $23 billion, as the project has moved through Congress. Yet congressional Republicans -- who have sought to re-emphasize their fiscal conservatism since they lost the majority -- are not going to fight on this ground.

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Comments

Thank God! Maybe the coward republicans will get used to going against their dangerous leader and continue to vote their consciences, instead of going along with a psychopath.

AOWaytogoOhio (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:30 AM)

Bush should have made the argument in more concrete terms. He should have pointed out how the money going to wasteful water projects could have paid for a month in Iraq making America safer. :^)

nuanced (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:33 AM)

while i support legitimate projects i'm sure there's pork in this bill on both sides. however i find it hard to justify gw's veto for 23 bil when iraq is at 2.4 trill for 10. i'm paying taxes to rebuild iraq and he wants to cry about internal pork. cut iraqi reconstruction funding by 23 bil and pass the damn thing,got the pun. at least i'll blow the money on jobs here and not wonder where it got lost in iraq.

karlos (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:36 AM)

does anyone really think Bush would have discovered republican fiscal conservatism if Republicans were still in power in the congress?
bush is such a dope.

diane (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:41 AM)

Well Well, its about time. I suppose George will have to punish everyone that voted against him. Its the Bush way. Jeb did this all the time in Florida. Do as I say or you will be punished. And then we all would be punished in some way.

Susan, Miami (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:41 AM)

here's what you must to do get the gop member of congress to do the correct, ethical, and moral thiing.

Bribe them with pork... elsewise they vote with our soviet president , george bush league

Chuck,San Diege (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:45 AM)

I'm no fan of this law, and it'll only override the veto because so many members of Congress are getting goodies fromit; on the other hand, who the hell is Bush to talk about rising price tags when the no-bid contractors in Iraq daily bilk the taxpaying public out of billions? He speaks out of both sides of his mouth, one for limiting spending, and one for UNlimited spending on corrupt contractors in Iraq.

Class Warrior, D.C. (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:46 AM)

Maybe the senate should first measure the new flood of recruits into schools that educate young men and women who are going to be the engineers of these past and future endeavors...Rolla in mid missouri can't even see its way past its own states problems yet,is the senate going to afford another oversite, boy, where do I sign to take a toe hold into states water supplies. Hebrews 7:19

Patricia L Hammons, CA (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:50 AM)

Check out Campaign Diaries' newest Senate Rankings, with detailed race-by-race analysis: http://www.campaigndiaries.com/senaterankings

Daniel, NY (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:51 AM)

Thank God they're finally standing up the that Prik.

GN Lars, Denver, CO (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 11:59 AM)

Skyrocketed to $23 Billion? That's peanuts compared to the wasted spending on the debacle in Iraq. This bill will not only provide needed infrastructure repair, it will also provide jobs to Americans, instead of just lining the pockets of the Bushie war monger pals. The Bush veto was only an effort to bring the illusion of fiscal conservatism to his legacy - what a freaking joke this president is.

mad in Madtown (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:06 PM)

'fiscal conservatism' now there is a term that is as pre-historic as any dinosaur, very funny indeed, if I were the republicans I would never utter that falsehood again it just makes them look stupid and completely hypocritical

MK,MO (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:12 PM)

Finally, some common sense in Washington.

John Anderson (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:19 PM)

"Yeah, but it's Halliburtons' WATER! They bid on it!" - Dubya, to 24 per cent of America.

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:24 PM)

Oh those darn irresponsible, dems, if they only knew how much we really are in debt with the war and the war and the new war coming, they would save some money for the troops.
Hey, Fiscally Responsible George, follow the man in the yellow hat, he has a good cage for you to wrestle those bad boys and girls in.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA, what a joke, he really didn't see this coming, did he, the end, We did though.
This is the end, my only friend, the end.
Wierd scenes inside the Crawford mindless one.
This was never about fiscal responsibility, it was the symbol of the sheriff standing alone in the noon day sun, sweating beads of hard earned perspiration from all the "HARD WORK", and many sleepless nights, and no vacation ever, "those lights were hot under there, I had to hold a smile for a full minute and no one thanked me." 'Cut-Print, ok, George, go back to your trailer till we need you for the funeral scene.'
"But I can do it over again, can't I?"

John S. Alexander, Edinboro, PA (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:25 PM)

High time the lame duck was shot down. Too bad its not over troop deployment or war spending. I can just see him stomping his widdle feet and throwing things in the oval office. Wish someone could capture the inevitable fit-throwing on camera and post it on youtube.

Doug, San Diego (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:30 PM)

I'd like to see how much pork the democrats put into this that would make President Bush use his veto pen.

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:30 PM)

To the previous person who posted. A psychopath is Saddam or Osama, not our President. And excuse me who is the coward? the republicans? It seems the republicans are the only ones who have any guts dealing with terrorists and national security. All democrats want to do is run in the face of battle. I wish we had an american public like that of World War 2. They understood the dangers of the world and supported their president during war. if anything it is the democrats who are cowards and are only trying to make political gain instead of doing the right thing.

Jim, Long Island (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:52 PM)

We should get used to massive water projects. It will cost trillions over the next 20 years for dikes and levees with the ocean rising.

nuanced (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:53 PM)

Stetson Harper, Tx. (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:07 PM)

don't think the republicans will go through with it. we're use to hearing them argue substances but when time come for voting they always side the the King.

apujac gueloung (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:14 PM)

Real pork and bacon: Blackwater, Haliburton and all of the other no-bid contracts this Administration hands out to their insider friends. Water projects, infrastructure projects, schools, healthcare, national parks, environmental improvements, veterans benefits - all take a back seat to Bush's no expenditure is too much war in Iraq. 10 billion dollars to Pakistan to prop up yet another military dictator. Hasn't Musharaf been listening to Bush's lectures on democracy? Obviously not. He's been too busy counting the loot. Where's Mr. Fiscal Conservative when it comes to Pakistan, Iraq, Isreal and the bloated Pentagon budget? Worst.President.Ever.

R.Merrell (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:14 PM)

"Skyrocketed to $23 Billion?"

Yah, but it's money spent on Americans in the US - that's why it's such an obscenity to BushCo.

Lee in CA (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:19 PM)

TEMPER TANTRUM @ whitehouse on thusday!!! Stay tuned!!!!

Rick,ky (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:19 PM)

Oh please listen to the people cry about the big bad Republicans...give me a break, you all need to get a life and realize that both parties have the faults and that EVERY president makes mistake. Does anyone remember the daily scandals during the Clinton years, and the Somalia debacle and Whitewater and Lewinsky and Kosovo etc. Everyone knows Bush isnt perfect but you people need to stop with the personal attacks on him and learn to attack his policies. I did not HATE Clinton, I thought his policies were bad....GO GET LIVES

Chris, Greenville, NC (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:27 PM)

I don't beleive it is raining until the drops are hitting me on the head. This congress has been bought and paid for. If bush loses this one, someone has started a new scam. Remember, the house never loses.

Pacheck (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:44 PM)

Bush is worried money to continue his wars of aggression will be spent on Americans, whom he and the neonuts really seem to hate these days...

Rick, WS, NC (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:48 PM)

There is nothing like Dubya blocking hurricane repair projects on the basis of them being too inflated/expensive. Inflated/expensive compared to what? Compared to Iraq? How about compared to all the people Katrina killed. Let’s be honest here - if the hurricane was in Iraq then Halliburton would have received $50bln to do the repairs.

So Dubya criticizes the Democrats for wasting time with silly bills, and then vetoes a bill even his slug-like brain knew was going to get overrode. Isn’t that a waste of time? Oh, but hypocrisy is definitely a STRENGTH of this administration. If you voted for him and don’t like how things are going for you – Karma.

yeahwhatever (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:48 PM)

Stetson--
And aside from BushCo and Fox News saying so, what proof was there that Iraq was behind 9/11? Oh right--none.

Siegfried, Central Illinois (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:21 PM)

"A psychopath is Saddam or Osama, not our President."

Right. He's a sociopathic. No empathy. A grifter.

"And excuse me who is the coward? the republicans? It seems the republicans are the only ones who have any guts dealing with terrorists and national security."

Well, you're pretty good at sending other people out to deal with it. The current crowd is nothing but a bunch of draft dodging chicken hawk cowards.

"All democrats want to do is run in the face of battle."

That's how they got all those Bronze and Silvar Stars in Viet Nam - by being cowards while Cheney and Bush stayed here to be heroes.

"I wish we had an american public like that of World War 2. They understood the dangers of the world and supported their president during war."

Yah - we might have got involved. Did you take your meds, today? And have YOU served?

"if anything it is the democrats who are cowards and are only trying to make political gain instead of doing the right thing."

Damn straight! Too lazy to bring all their limbs home from Viet Nam while the real heroes were hugging bar stools in Houston.

Jim - I'll bet you look pretty in a brown shirt.

Lee in CA (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:23 PM)

Susan in Miami says.........

Do as I say or you will be punished.

I'm sure Hillary was thinking that all the time she was standing on the stage looking at Russert and Brian Williams last week, as if they didn't get the copy of the play they had rehearsed the day before.

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:24 PM)

Nuanced:

I live by the water......

been living by the water for 10 years......

Every morning I walk out and look to see if the water has risen......

So far it has not........

And believe me, unlike some of the left wing nujobs that are screaming for this country to go green, I do not go green......

So Al Gore and his so called award winning film means nothing to me......

We have some nut down here that says the water will be to the dunes soon.

I said "how soon", 1000 years after I'm gone?"

I'm go out and I'm still waiting....

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:28 PM)

Jim, Long Island - Are You kidding? The Republicans are the only ones who have any guts dealing with terrorists and national security? Check the Congress and see how many Republicans actually served in the armed forces as opposed to the Democrats. What guts have the Republicans shown other than sending our young men and women into a country that NEVER attacked us, and even worse, sending our soldiers in without sufficient armor or the amount of soldiers needed. Now they don't even have the guts to admit we made a mistake and bring them out! I suppose you believe the public should have also supported the president during the VietNam war? Well, I'm sorry, but I like to think that Americans will not BLINDLY follow any President, just because he/she is president. I'd rather believe that Americans will do what they feel is right. Otherwise, we'd still be English!

New Independent (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:36 PM)

It seems all of you have forgotten that every one was 200% in favor of Bush going after the terrorest, after 9-11. Now that it has turned out to be more than any one thought, All the two faced want to condem him. As far as the war in Iraq goes I donot think anyone thought it would take this long, Nor did the people that called for revenge have any Idea what it would take. Now you want to claim it is Bush's War and blame him for it all. What happened to peoples Word. Have we forgotten so soon?
Stetson Harper, Tx. (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:07 PM)-----------------------------------------------------NO! NO your dog will not hunt. He lied and he lied some more. We were played to the hilt and mildly put hoodwinked (sorta like water boarding). WE did not believe him, ALL of us were not on his war wagon. NEVER EVER did I believe that little snot.

IMPEACH (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:36 PM)

Jim, Long Island, I would like you to answer this question - which one of the 2 dunce's in charge (dunce in chief or shoot you in the face chaney) are cowards? Remember they both did not serve during the last national call up!!!!!!!!!The other question is why all of a sudden does the dunce in chief start vetoing things? He never vetoed a spending bill under the Repuk party (minus the stem cell research). Go ahead make my day and try to make up an answer to both of those questions.

Terry, Disabled Vet, Des Moines, IA (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:39 PM)

Actually plenty of people thought war with Iraq was unnecessary, unjustified, potentially destabilizing to the entire region, liable to take far longer than projected, and likely to cost $1T or more. Those people were ridiculed and reviled for being unrealistic, unpatriotic to the point of treason, soft on terrorism, and completely nuts. Now who's proven to be nuts? To say everyone thought this would be a walk in the park is pure revisionism.

John B, Des Moines, IA (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:47 PM)

Dubya: Let them drink bottled water!

Scamp (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:56 PM)

Ah I will say it again. George W Bush is a sociopathic lier and a coward.

AOWaytogoOhio (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 3:01 PM)

I see a vision of Hillary Clinton in the White House. It is very strong. It will come to pass. There is no doubt.

Psychic Mary (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 3:03 PM)

New Independant: More Republicans served in the military in Congress than the Democrats combining both the Senate and the House. www.whoserved.com- Military Service of Congress offers the following piegraph with links to congresssional bios for all legislators who served in the armed forces.

Republicans:13.5%[including Iraq War/WOT proponants who otherwise recieved Distinguished Service/Flying Crosses,Silver and Bronze Stars,and Purple Hearts].

Democrats:10.5% [and this was even with the ''Year of the Veteran'' in the 2006 midterm congressional races].

Lee Holmes (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 3:53 PM)

I'm go out and I'm still waiting....
jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:28
-------------------------------
Stay right there j, do not move, stay still and watch, stay right there!

H P Boston (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 3:55 PM)

Ah I will say it again. George W Bush is a sociopathic lier and a coward.
AOWaytogoOhio (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 3:01 PM)-------------------------------------------------
I will drink to that! Skoal!!

H P Boston (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 4:40 PM)

Oh, the "WAR ON TERROR!" Isn't that the one where you get a Bronze Star being captured without firing a shot and a Silvar Star for being murdered by your own troops? (No knock on either Pat Tillman or Jessica Lynch - just people who skew statistics.) What are the Viet Nam and WWII statistics? Donald Rumsfeld, Gen. Tommy Franks, Paul Bremer and George Tenant all got Medals of Freedom from the "WOT!" Bush uses medals for political hush money.

The fact remains that Cheney and Bush hid from a war that Democratrs fought in, and you despicable skanks think the veterans are the corwads.

How deceitful do you need to be before you can feel good about being a BushCo automoton? You support a stain of a man. The sooner you admit it, the sooner you can start to regain some degree of self respect.

You know the difference between a Bush supporter and a Borg? The Borg have charm.

Lee in CA (Sent Tuesday, November 06, 2007 7:21 PM)

The emperor has no clothes.

Amazed, Atlanta (Sent Wednesday, November 07, 2007 10:01 AM)

Lee In Ca: You will be reminded that a serviceman who was awarded the MOH was involved personally in this WOT. You are skirting the issue. The claim was made that fewer Republicans in CONGRESS[NOT the Executive Branch Lee],served in the military. I merely corrected this error.

Lee Holmes (Sent Wednesday, November 07, 2007 11:41 AM)

Why does Bush continually try to veto bills that enhance the way of life for his fellow country men and children? We our rebuilding a country (IRAQ) spending billions and billions doing it but when comes to the homeland all we get is a VETO! Is it because there would be congressional over site and no monies would end in Bush's pal's hands? This president is making me sick and I went to his Inaugural Ball back in Texas in 1998- I would never think I would think of him this way. TIMES HAVE CHANGED! Now it's DON"T MESS WITH BUSH AND COMPANY.

Donny Atlanta GA (Sent Thursday, November 08, 2007 1:06 PM)

Our president has done nothing to battle terrorists. if anything he has made more and a testing ground for which they can carry out test missions so they can do them in other contries including our own. al-quida has tem times more members and pakistan is there resting place to walk freely. worl war two america made a statement with japan and we did it twice in that war. That statement we made ended the war and kept everyone from attacking the US. 3000 american died and 5 planes went down and no statement was made to the world or to the terroists. so how can americans support a president that doesn't help its people, secure our borders, and loses american jobs. our country is going into a resesion.

John doe (Sent Thursday, November 08, 2007 1:07 PM)

Dont get me wrong We as americans can support our troops but not suppoert the man (our president) that sends them to their deaths for oil and money. We have more terroists now than before 9-11. gee where is all our tax payer dollars going? Not to mention we dont have money to help our own country battle floods, fires, or any other big natural disaster.

john doe (Sent Thursday, November 08, 2007 1:11 PM)

The greatest lesson that this current Administration can learn is fiscal responsibility by bringing the current war in Iraq to a quick end and forcing Iraq's hand at being politically responsible for their own country by eliminating sectarian violence and building a democracy that allows Iraqi Nationals the opportunity to bring positive changes without outside interference and corruption.

Jeff, Apache Junction, Arizona (Sent Thursday, November 08, 2007 1:15 PM)

It is about time they stool up this President, this is what we are paying them to do, instead of taken kick backs from lobbies and etc, that regular everyday people don't get.
They get great health care and their get pay checks after they leave office. They live big houses with maids and etc.
Well everyday people has to send there children off to war on their making, because they couldn't stand up to this President and say no, Vet's are homeless and without jobs, without healthcare mental and physical.
What have they given up??? Nothing at all!!!Why don't they give up their health care and their paychecks and kick backs and give it to the Vets and the poor people of this country, Give us back our jobs in the USA and not to China and other countries too. Brings us back.
But at this point we are to far gone, heading into deep dark depression again. We are going to be homeless and poor and rich are going to richer no matter what happens to us.

theresa whitefield, nh (Sent Thursday, November 08, 2007 1:52 PM)

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