Recently we learned that Dem Senate leaders are contemplating getting rid of their call for withdrawal timelines in order to pass a December bill funding the next leg of the Iraq War.

This has prompted many people to start looking to House Dems to take a stand and draw a line against more funding. House Dems have been making noise about standing firm. But now the White House and GOP campaign to portray Dems as unwilling to fund the troops has kicked into gear, no doubt spooking some Dems, particularly those of the Blue Dog variety.

So what will House Dems do? What's their next step?

Well, today House Dem leader David Obey, who's insisting on withdrawal timelines, was asked this question at a presser. His answer: We won't fund the war without withdrawal dates. Take a look:

Transcript:

QUESTION: Mr. Obey, the rhetoric from the president is just going to get worse as the holidays approach. Are you going to continue to maintain the stance that you have of providing these conditions on war funds if he's to get the money?

OBEY: Of course.

I mean, we have provided the money. I will repeat that 50 times. We have provided the money. The money is not the issue. The issue is that the president is simply refusing to accept the conditions under which the money is provided.

This document says that that's the proper role of Congress. If you look at Article I, Section 8 and Article I, Section 9, they define the authority of the Congress to determine what policy is supposed to be financed and in foreign affairs, and we're simply -- we're simply following that document to the letter.

Pretty tough talk. The question now is whether House Dems will hold the line in the face of the propaganda barrage from the White House and GOPers, who have already started to paint the Dems as unwilling to fund the troops, even though it's the Republicans who are blocking the funding by refusing to support any funding bill that doesn't permit for war to continue forever.

Obey says House Dems will hold the line, and as chair of the Appropriations Committee, Obey is in a good position to help enforce this. We'll see what happens.