WASHINGTON
The House yesterday sent President Obama a major war-funding increase of $33 billion to pay for his surge in Afghanistan, unmoved by the leaking of classified documents that portray a military effort struggling 2004-09 against a strengthening insurgency.
The House voted, 308-114, to approve the spending raise for the additional 30,000 troops. Other nonwar provisions brought the total to nearly $59 billion.
From Obama on down, the disclosure of the documents was condemned yesterday, but the material failed to stir new anti-war sentiment. The bad news for the White House: A pervasive weariness with the war was still there -- and possibly growing.
Republicans in Congress were still strongly behind the increase in war spending, but there was unusually strong opposition from members of Obama's own Democrat Party. All but 12 of the "no" votes came from Democrats.
Reps. Mel Watt, D-12th, and Walter Jones, R-3rd, of North Carolina were among the "no" voters.
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