Shame that Democrats have turned this into a partisan issue:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush expressed optimism Wednesday about a possible deal with Democrats on the war funding bill, but neither side seemed closer to compromise.
"I'm confident, with goodwill on both sides, that we can move beyond political statements," Bush said, a day after his veto of a $124 billion war spending bill that included a deadline for U.S. troops to pull out of Iraq.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reacted coolly to a GOP proposal to break the deadlock.
Republicans have expressed a willingness to put benchmarks for progress on Iraq's government, as long as there is no U.S. withdrawal time frame, Pelosi said. "Benchmarks without teeth are, what, a conversation?" Pelosi asked.
Bush has invited congressional leaders to a White House meeting Wednesday afternoon.
Shortly before the meeting, the House failed to override Bush's veto.
The 222-203 vote was far short of the two-thirds majority it would take to override a presidential veto.. . .
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/02/congress.iraq/index.html