Gotta love this developing drama:

“The Senate will not stop paying for the Iraq war nor relent from insisting that President Bush keep pressing the Baghdad government for a negotiated end to the violence, a Democratic leader said Sunday.

Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, the Senate Armed Service Committee chairman, took issue with an effort by Majority Leader Harry Reid to cut off money for the war next year as a way to end U.S. involvement.

“We’re not going to vote to cut funding, period,” Levin said. “But what we should do, and we’re going to do, is continue to press this president to put some pressure on the Iraqi leaders to reach a political settlement.”

This isn’t the first time Dems haven’t been on the same sheet and definitely not the first time Reid has been “on the outs”. But Reid has joined the Feingold Surrender Brigade and there is no turning back now.

NRO’s Corner has this capture:

“Stephanopoulos: And Senator Levin, let me begin with you. The Democrats do seem divided on how to respond to the president’s challenge. You’ve had your leader, Senator Harry Reid, sponsor legislation that would cut off all funding for all combat troops next March. Other senators like Barack Obama say after the veto that most of the Senate will vote for the funding, and he thinks they should. Which camp are you in?

Levin: Well, we’re not going to vote to cut funding, period. Even Harry Reid acknowledged that that’s not going to happen. He has a personal position, which he said was not the caucus position. He was very clear when he joined a bill which would cut off funding under certain circumstances.

We’re not going to cut off funding for the troops. We shouldn’t cut off funding for the troops‚Ķ‚Äù

Stephanopoulos: Senator Levin, you’ve been very clear today. You said that Democrats are not going to cut off funding. Are you sure you can get all of your caucus behind this or enough of your caucus behind this idea? A lot of liberals in the caucus say, “No, we must draw the line here and now.”

Levin: No, what we’re going to try to do, a majority, I believe, of Democrats and most of the Republicans, is to vote for a bill that funds the troops, period. We’re going to fund the troops. We always have.”