Hill Democratic Leaders Willing To Confront Bush On Surge

President Bush has been widely criticized for losing clout on Capitol Hill since the Democrats took over the House and Senate last November. And it's true that Democratic leaders have been emboldened to challenge the president on issues large and small.

"He is so far down in the polls that Democrats are not afraid to confront him anymore," says a senior Republican strategist. One example causing a buzz in Washington is the reluctance of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to accept Bush's invitation for a meeting next Wednesday to discuss a supplemental spending bill for the Iraq war. After signaling that they might not attend, they now appear ready to show up after all and confront Bush over his "surge" of troops into the war zone.

But the Democrats are also walking their own tightrope. GOP strategists argue that the Democrats are playing a dangerous political game.

By Kenneth T. Walsh