Bush Again Demands War Funding from Democrats

President Bush demanded today that Congress approve funding for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before members leave for the holidays, despite repeated assertions from congressional Democrats that's not in the cards. "Let us tell our men and women in uniform that we will give them what they need to succeed in their missions, without strings and without delay," Bush insisted.

Democrats in Congress have repeatedly tried, and failed, to tie funding for the conflicts to a timetable on troop withdrawals, the Associated Press reports. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has been making dire predictions of layoffs and cutbacks if it doesn't get its cash soon, despite admitting that the military won't actually run out of money until March. (More Iraq stories.)