Roll Call:

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Tuesday expressed doubt that Democratic leaders have the votes to pass the $105.9 billion war supplemental.

“I think we have the votes. Confident might overstate it,” Hoyer said at his weekly press conference. The supplemental spending bill is scheduled for debate Tuesday and will be voted on later Tuesday or Wednesday, he said.

We asked Democrats in Congress to put up this fight for years. They never did. This is the biggest fight we’ve ever seen in Congress over funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it’s notable that the whipping came from without (citizen phone calls) rather than from within.

Kagro:

The fact that enough of this anti/responsible war coalition is still hanging together in opposition to put the supplemental in jeopardy is largely the result of outside work — netroots work, to be specific — led by Firedoglake and the use of their Citizen Whip Count Tool. It’s a great accomplishment in itself, and it’s something I think we can replicate in the future. But I also think it tells us something about the current state of the Progressive Caucus in the House and how it currently sees itself.

I understand plans are underway for a program that has as its goal the strengthening of the Progressive Caucus as a voting bloc and as an institution. I’m encouraged by the prospect, and hope that coupled with the outside pressure the netroots can bring to bear, that we’ll see some measurable progress in the near future. The most disturbing thing to me about this vote has not, in fact, been the substance. It was the fact that so many Democrats who’d staked out clear positions turned out to be so "gettable" in the end.

Things change. Votes change. I understand that. And Members absolutely must have the flexibility to change when necessary. It’s easy enough to argue that this is one of those times when it’s necessary. But please don’t do it without giving any thought to what it means when 2/3 of the Democrats who put pens to paper on positions like this walk away so quickly rather than "embarrass the President." I’m sure he appreciates the support, but there are some other people being embarrassed a little bit here, too.

No matter what happens, we’ve learned a ton. And we’ve put up the fight we always asked for. Thanks to everyone who has participated — you are utterly and completely inspirational.

Keep up the calls.