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Washington Prowler

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Obey, one of the most liberal and pork-friendly members of the House, was particularly angry because Daniels and others in the administration ridiculed his recent appropriations request for an $80,000 rescue sled for use on frozen lakes.

Daniels also took heat from Oklahoma Republican Rep. Ernest Istook for Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge's refusal to appear before congressional committees.

Afterward, according to several congressional and White House staffers, Daniels hit the roof. "He thought we'd sandbagged him," says one Republican Appropriations staffer. "And I guess we did, in that we didn't tell him that so many of our members were lined up to attack him. We knew it was going to go down this way."

Daniels also was angry at the White House's Congressional Liaison office, which has done little to salve hurt feelings on the Hill over the White House's perceived failure to fully brief Congress on the war on terror and budget issues related to the war. "Daniels was rightfully mad, but he should be angry at his Republican friends on the Appropriations Committee who took a chunk out of his hide today," says a White House staffer. "We warned him this could happen. But he didn't seem to believe us."

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