BUSH AND BUSH LITE VS. THE DEMOCRATS:

Bush Prepares Request for Rest Of Bailout Funds: If Congress Votes Down Measure, Veto Power Could Come Into Play (David Cho and Lori Montgomery, 1/10/09, Washington Post)

Senior Bush administration officials, consulting with the Obama transition team, have prepared a plan to ask lawmakers for the second half of the $700 billion financial rescue package despite intense opposition in Congress, sources familiar with the discussions said.

The initiative could create an unusual political scenario straddling the Bush and Obama administrations. If Congress were to vote down the measure, either President Bush or Obama would have to exercise a veto to get the money.

Obama officials would prefer that Bush exercise any veto rather than leave the new president with the unsavory task of rebuffing his fellow Democrats in Congress to advance a widely unpopular program, sources said.

Why? He's going to have to ride herd on them quite a bit. May as well get started.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 10, 2009 11:10 AM