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Bush asked for a clean bill. Period. The House can lean on that. Conference will report out a clean bill and then another loaded with not just this AWB extension, but other amendments that are killers for even Dems. There will be so much dirt on the 2nd bill that it won't even reach the president because the Dems themselves will kill it. Then he'll get the first one, the clean bill to sign that both houses passed. This is the optimal political scenario.
The alternative is the House can delay any bill coming to the floor at all. The clock can run out, and if the bill is worded well, it can be arranged so it is the Dems that force the clock to run out because they would not support the bill so arranged. There are tons of things that can be done like that -- for example exempting any company from the lawsuit immunity that are in Dem districts.

No way the WH does anything controversial with this bill. Why should they? The Dems will push it if it can cost Bush votes and will be vocal about it, but we control the agenda and we can bring forward only the bills we want to make us look good.

Conveniently Forgetting Recent events, Dr. Pangloss?

Conveniently Forgetting Recent events, Dr. Pangloss?

Again people didn't care about CFR, except conservatives. It was a feel good vote and most voters didn't see it as an assault on the 1st amendment. I know you don't like that, but those are the facts.

Now the AWB ban is different. The Pubbies defeated a Schumer sponsored Senate bill back in 99 and in House races gun control is a much bigger issue than CFR ever was.

Conveniently Forgetting Recent events, Dr. Pangloss?

CFR inspired -NOTHING- like the grassroots level disdain that the AWB does.

Constant comparisons to CFR are misleading for many reasons, but ultimately it's impact was, and remains for the most part, totally uncertain.

AWB by comparison is a photon torpedo aimed directly at voting gun owners.