The House of Representatives today failed to override President Bush’s veto of the Iraq War Spending Bill:

The House of Representatives today sustained President Bush’s veto of an emergency war spending bill, as the White House and lawmakers turned their attention to negotiating new legislation to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 222-203 vote to override Bush’s veto fell far short of the two-thirds needed, effectively killing the $124 billion supplemental appropriations bill. After the vote, congressional leaders from both parties met with Bush at the White House to start the process of negotiating a new bill. Afterward, the lawmakers said the meeting had been positive. Before conferring with them, Bush told reporters: “Yesterday was a day that highlighted differences. Today’s a day where we can work together to find common ground.” He said he was naming White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten, National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley and Office of Management and Budget Director Rob Portman to work with members of both parties to reach agreement on a new funding bill.

Given that the original bill had a bare partisan majority when it passed, this outcome was hardly surprising. Now that the Democrats have accomplished their political goal, though, everyone has to figure out what to do next.

As I’ve said before, I don’t think the Democrats are going to let themselves be in a position where no funding bill at all is passed. Cutting off funds for the war has too much potential to turn into a political victory for the Bush Administration and risks alienating voters who want the Iraq war to end, but don’t want the troops left hanging in the lurch. At the same time, though, I think that a time is coming soon when Republicans, even the Bush Administration, will finally see the handwriting on the wall and quietly accept the idea that disengagement from Iraq is the right thing to do.

Here’s what I think might happen. The Bush Administration will never accept deadlines for withdrawal, so what I expect to see are benchmarks set for the Iraqi Government to meet in order for US military and economic aid to continue. In conjunction with this, I would expect to see the Bush Administration take a harder line with the Malki Government in Baghdad. If, and probably when, those benchmarks are not met, the United States will begin the gradual process of letting the Iraqi people commit national suicide.

A plan like this would satisfy Democratic (and Republican) opponents of the war, and it would provide the Bush Administration the cover it needs to get out of this quagmire. Instead of saying that America abandoned Iraq, the official line will be that Iraq failed to live up to it’s promises.

It sounds cynical, but this is politics.