I heard about this on television last night, but wasn't sure I believed it. House Democrats, desperate to pass a funding bill that mandates retreat and defeat in Iraq, are buying the votes of wavering Democrats and undecided Republicans by larding the bill with special projects for their districts - completely unrelated to the war, of course. Jonathan Weisman of the Washington Post has the story:

House Democratic leaders are offering billions in federal funds for lawmakers' pet projects large and small to secure enough votes this week to pass an Iraq funding bill that would end the war next year.

So far, the projects -- which range from the reconstruction of New Orleans levees to the building of peanut storehouses in Georgia -- have had little impact on the tally. For a funding bill that establishes tough new readiness standards for deploying combat forces and sets an Aug. 31, 2008, deadline to bring the troops home, votes do not come cheap.

But at least a few Republicans and conservative Democrats who otherwise would vote "no" remain undecided, as they ponder whether they can leave on the table millions of dollars for constituents by opposing the $124 billion war funding bill due for a vote on Thursday.

Read the entire article at the link above.

Despicable - both buyers and sellers in this market are soulless traitors. And STUPID traitors, at that, since the bill has no chance of passing the Senate in such a form and, even if it did, would be an unconstitutional encroachment on Presidential authority.

If they want to CUT OFF FUNDING for the war, they have that power, but they are too GUTLESS to do it because, despite all their bleatings about the "will of the public" being against the war, they know the American people would not take kindly to such craven conduct. So instead, these filthy little weasels practice their perfidy in the shadowy halls of the House and in the back rooms, once smoke-filled, which now reek of New Age aromatherapy.

Thanks to Instapundit for the pointer.