Interview-US Rep. Clyburn's "nightmare" from within

WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, one of the most powerful members of Congress, says his fellow Democrats give him nightmares.

The Iraq war and legislation funding it have presented the biggest challenge for the 67-year-old congressman whose job it is to cajole fellow Democrats into line on important votes, Clyburn told Reuters in an interview.

But initiatives from immigration reform to the budget all contribute to a sometimes gut-wrenching task for the highest-ranking black in Congress as he attempts to herd the diverse factions of the 234 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I guess you know that I go to bed every night with a nightmare looking me in the face," Clyburn told an audience this month, recounting the difficulty getting influential blocs of blacks, fiscal conservatives, Latinos and others "on the same page."

This 1960s civil rights activist from South Carolina rattled off the eight major caucuses within the House Democratic Caucus as if he were counting sheep: "Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Blue Dog Coalition, Asian-Pacific islanders, New Democrats, the Progressive Caucus, the Women's Working Group, freshmen."

That's not counting the "Out of Iraq Caucus," the 73 or so Democrats clamoring to bring U.S. combat troops home.

The Democratic balancing act is in contrast to the relatively cohesive (critics would say lock-step) 198 Republican members of the House.

"When Republicans were in the majority, we only had the conservative Republican Study Committee and Main Street (the moderates)," said one Republican leadership aide who asked not to be identified. "Clyburn has a much tougher job than (House Republican Whip Roy) Blunt because of the widespread divisions in their caucus."

Clyburn's challenge, and that of Democrats nationwide, is trying to pull these interests together when they're at odds on big issues: Many want an immediate end to the Iraq war while others see risks; some want to use the must-do war funding bill to attach more domestic funds while others bristle at increased deficit spending.

Even with the intraparty divisions, Clyburn, who has not yet endorsed Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for president, thinks Democrats are well-positioned to expand their majority in the House this November.

"We started with 233 (Democrats last year)...I could see us getting to 245, 250" after the 2008 elections, Clyburn predicted. There are 435 seats in the House, all up for election this year.

As Democratic leaders were trying to put the finishing touches on an Iraq war spending bill, the Hispanic caucus last week openly took on Pelosi and her lieutenants, calling them "spineless" for not pursuing broad immigration reforms.

Clyburn defended the Hispanic caucus, saying: "They're right to call us spineless. We do have a spine, but it's a little more flexible than a spinal cord ought to be sometimes." MORE

By Richard Cowan