Sweet Victory
But pressure still needed


In an earlier posting, I noted the heat Republicans were getting on their budget priorities from all kinds of progressive groups. Well, so far it seems to be paying off, as seen in a recent CNN release.

House Republican leaders scuttled a vote Thursday on a $51 billion budget-cut package in the face of a revolt by lawmakers over scaling back Medicaid, food stamp and student loan programs.

The development was a major setback for the GOP on Capitol Hill and for President Bush, who has made cuts to benefit programs a central pillar in his budget plan.

The decision by GOP leaders came despite a big concession to moderates Wednesday, when the leaders dropped provisions to open the Arctic National Refuge to oil and gas exploration, as well as a plan allowing states to lift a moratorium on oil drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

"We weren't quite ready to go to the floor," Majority Leader Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, said five hours after recessing the House for closed-door meetings aimed a picking up votes from wavering Republicans

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