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Washington - After nearly four decades in Congress, David Obey has seniority, clout and a vast understanding of the inner workings of the U.S. House.
But, since taking over as chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee last year, the Wausau Democrat has had limited influence on one of the most pressing issues in Washington - funding for a war he has opposed since before it began.
"I don't have a magic wand to stop the damn war," he said in a recent telephone interview.
Obey, who leads a committee that helps shape how the government spends hundreds of billions of dollars a year, now finds himself in the position of crafting legislation to continue funding the Iraq war even as he votes against those very measures.
The House is expected to vote as early as today on a bill that includes $165 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through part of 2009.
So far, the new Democratic Congress has approved nearly $200 billion for U.S. war efforts in the region, despite repeated threats from congressional leaders that they would not continue to approve money for the war without setting a deadline for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Again and again, Democrats have relented, and the amount of congressionally approved war spending now totals $700 billion.
Since taking the reins of the committee, Obey has endured pointed criticism from anti-war activists who want to see an end to the war and who urge Democratic leaders to use their control over the spending process to force a U.S. withdrawal.
"The power of the purse is what they've got," said Steve Burns, program coordinator for the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice. "It's their reluctance to use the power of the purse that renders them powerless."
But Obey argues that he simply does not have enough votes to cut off funding for the war. He also says other options favored by war critics, such as not passing any spending bills to fund the conflict, are "theoretical" and unrealistic because doing so would effectively shut down the government, a scenario he says most Americans don't want to see.
In addition, many Democrats worry they would be blamed for leaving troops without the funding they need.
"The last time I looked, in a democracy, a majority is supposed to decide things," Obey said. "I can either pretend I can stop it or I can recognize the limitations of my authority."
What he has done, however, is craft measures that allow anti-war Democrats to go on record opposing the war while forcing Republicans to take a public position on the issue. Meanwhile, he has arranged separate votes on funding for the conflict to ensure the money goes through.
"He's very much like a circus juggler," said Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University. "It's a very hazardous undertaking. You've got to protect your own people and put pressure on the Republicans."
Full Story: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=763333&format=print
