Dems choose the battles they can win

Democratic leaders are taking a more cautious approach in the months leading up to the November election, focusing on bedrock domestic issues that resonate with voters while conceding drawn-out battles that make them look weak.

Last year each side hardened its positions on issues such as spending, healthcare and the Iraq war, forcing Democrats to accept an unrelenting GOP minority unwilling to override Bush’s vetoes.

{mosads}This year Democrats have effectively pulled GOP members away from the White House on a range of issues, such as awarding education benefits to GIs and opposing a reduction in Medicare payments to doctors — exposing the deepest fractures since President Bush took office nearly eight years ago.

At the same time, Democrats have demonstrated restraint on issues where they are more likely to lose, instead of engaging in a protracted and ultimately futile battle with the president.

“It’s an election year, and a lot of Republicans now understand that being loyal to Bush to the bitter end is going to result in a bitter end,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

In the coming weeks, Senate Democrats want to avoid a big Iraq showdown during consideration of a defense policy bill, a stark difference from last year, when the majority staged an all-night debate leading up to a vote on an amendment calling for a withdrawal of U.S. troops. Also, Congress just approved unfettered funds for Bush to continue his policy in Iraq and sent him an overhaul of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that had strong opposition from Senate Democratic leadership.

“In order to get those domestic needs addressed, we have essentially given in on a fight that we couldn’t win,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a close ally of Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the Democratic presidential candidate, speaking about the war in Iraq.

The most critical test will be on Congress’s response to soaring gas prices, as Democrats face mounting pressure from Republicans to open up offshore areas to new oil and gas drilling. But so far, Democratic leaders don’t want to expose their members to tough votes on drilling.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is likely to block the GOP from offering amendments on offshore oil drilling during an upcoming energy debate, while House Democratic leaders scrapped appropriations bills to deny the GOP a forum to debate expanded exploration and are moving critical legislation through the suspension calendar — where amendments are not allowed.

Still, Democrats are taking advantage of fears over the economy and Bush’s low poll numbers to schedule votes they can portray as a choice between hurting and helping key constituencies, such as the elderly, unemployed and military veterans. And the Republicans are buckling under the pressure, as they did Tuesday when Congress voted to override Bush’s veto of a Medicare bill, just the third time lawmakers have overruled his veto pen since he took office in 2001.

“It’s hard to be against something that is promoted as doing good,” said Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), the minority whip who is in charge of lining up GOP votes, speaking to the Democrats’ strategy. He said keeping Republican unity varies on the issue.

{mospagebreak}Some Republicans are frustrated by their wavering colleagues.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close ally of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive GOP nominee, said he was “incredibly disappointed” with three members of GOP leadership — conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), conference Vice Chairman John Cornyn of Texas and Policy Chairwoman Kay Bailey Hutchison, also of Texas — who broke with the party to give the Democrats a veto-proof margin on the Medicare bill, which would avert a sharp cut to doctors’ payments.

“If you’re going to be in leadership, [then] lead,” Graham said.

{mosads}“This is a Congress where people are job-scared on both sides. It’s pretty pitiful to watch,” Graham said.

Democrats are expected to keep the pressure on the GOP as the sagging economy tops the list of voters’ concerns.

Senate Democrats are planning an upcoming vote to expand heating assistance for low-income people, an issue a number of Northern Republicans support, including some facing tough reelection campaigns.  Democrats also plan to bring up a second economic-stimulus package in September that will likely include money for infrastructure and a boost in food stamps. And there is talk of reviving a plan to expand health insurance to millions of children, a measure that is just short of a veto-proof margin in the House and could put McCain in a tough spot.

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said GOP defections signal the “fatigue” that is common in the final year of any administration, regardless of political party.

“So standing with an administration, there are no short-term or long-term benefits,” Burr said.

And that appears to be part of the calculation by the Republican rank and file, especially in light of three recent GOP special-election losses that portend big losses in November.

In June, 35 Senate Republicans and 99 House Republicans voted to override Bush’s farm bill veto. In May, most of Congress supported a halt in filling the emergency oil reserve, over the administration’s objections.

Twenty-five Senate Republicans later joined a united Democratic Conference to vote for an amendment that included a GI Bill giving educational benefits to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an extension of unemployment insurance for three months, and a delay of several Medicaid rules — forcing Bush to accept the provisions. In April, 128 House Republicans voted to halt the administration’s implementation of those Medicaid rules.

Last week, just five Senate Republicans voted against a housing-rescue package that Bush opposes, after 39 House Republicans backed a different version in May.

But part of the perceived success this year is also because Democrats have lowered expectations, especially on Iraq when they promised to voters in 2006 they would force Bush to bring troops home from the region.

“After you’ve beaten your head against the wall for a period of time, you want the pain to stop,” Durbin said when asked if Democrats would push for another vote on an Iraq-withdrawal amendment.

The tension that simmered last year between House and Senate Democrats appears to be softening as well.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who said his legislation feels “trapped in the wrong body,”claimed that Democrats are succeeding because “political reality is affecting the Republicans.”