California Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Lynn Woolsey said that many of their liberal colleagues were caving under pressure from Democratic leaders who, according to at least one congressman, have threatened to block requests for new funds for his district.

They also cited MoveOn.org's endorsement of the measure Monday as a blow to their efforts.

"This is the process: people who feel strongly about this issue hold out as long as they can," said Waters. "A lot of pressure comes to bear and they can't hold up under the pressure."

Waters said that she and other opponents of the spending measure had entered the weekend with 20 to 25 members on their side but that they had suffered "a lot of damage" as Democratic leaders aggressively urged members to support the bill.

Vowing to step up her efforts to hold the opposition, Waters said it was clear that Democratic leaders were mounting an all-out whip effort beyond the earlier informal surveying by Democratic Whip James Clyburn (S.C.).

"This is a vote of conscience," Waters said. "Jim Clyburn said he was doing an assessment, so that's what I was doing. Now that he's whipping, I'm going to start whipping."

Clyburn disputed her assertion. "That's not what she told me," he said. "I beg to differ that there's anybody whipping against this bill."
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Democratic leaders also were trying to stop defections from conservative Blue Dogs worried that the bill sets too many conditions for generals on the battlefield and includes too much non-war spending.

Several Blue Dog Coalition members in the House are opposed to the bill, including Jim Marshall of Georgia. Stephanie Herseth of South Dakota, the group's whip, predicted that the number of its members voting against the measure would be in the "single digits."CQ

Clyburn may not be taking action against his team members, but other party leaders almost certainly will, aides said yesterday. Pelosi plans to speak to Lewis as soon as possible, if not to win his vote, at least to secure his silence. The speaker held pointed discussions this week with the leaders of the Appropriations Committee, making it clear that she has the power to determine the popular panel's membership. That was a clear indication that she might move against Rep. Barbara Lee (Calif.), an antiwar activist and the only Democrat to vote against the war spending bill in committee last week.

Washington Post