Republican sources tell me the White House is now pushing the GOP conference to vote against the farm bill tomorrow to signal Bush's veto will be sustained.

Now that it is finally engaged, the White House is picking up support among fiscal conservatives and bolstering opposition to the bill from House Minority Leader Boehner and Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor.

But fiscal conservatives aligned with the White House are concluding that it's now House Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri who is missing in action.

As today's White House statement and administration sources make clear, Bush strongly prefers a new bill, not a straight extension of current law, but is firmly insisting on more subsidy reform. A veto is seen as opening a final, post-veto round of negotiation, on a new bill, not a simple extension that is seen as DOA in the House.

Top administration sources tell me that If the veto is sustained, the Bush team will not challenge the food assistance or conservation provisions in any ensuing negotiations. Their focus is on Title I reform and commodity-related costs like the new $3.8 billion permanent disaster aid program.

That opens the door to the subsidy lobby's worst nightmare: isolation of their plush Title I and disaster aid provisions as the obstacle to a new farm bill should Bush and Pelosi find farm bill common ground.