THE UR AND THE GOP VS THE DEMOCRATS:

Obama's IMF pledge meets congressional resistance: Loans to the International Monetary Fund to shore up the global economy are key to the president's foreign policy vision, but his promises may be imperiled by House and Senate differences. (Janet Hook, May 23, 2009, LA Times)

President Obama's initiative to shore up the developing world through a global fund, the cornerstone of an international economic recovery effort begun last month, is meeting with resistance in Congress. [...]

Obama is seeking the IMF infusion as part of a measure to provide $90 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Senate included IMF funding in its bill; the House did not.

The differences between the two bills must be resolved after Congress returns from its weeklong Memorial Day recess.

When the House passed its version of the war funding bill last week, Obama depended heavily on support from Republicans. GOP support made up for the 51 Democrats who voted against the bill because they opposed the war in Iraq and Obama's plan to step up the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan.

However, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) warned that the additional funding for the IMF threatened to erode support from Republicans, including those who believe the money should not be included in the war funding bill and those skeptical of Obama's game plan in Afghanistan.