Posted on 01/22/2007 1:37:42 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Congressional Republicans pushed back Monday against President Bush's decision to deploy additional troops in Iraq, some voicing opposition while others called for the administration and Iraqi government to be held accountable.
In the Senate, three GOP lawmakers joined one Democrat in unveiling nonbinding legislation expressing disagreement with Bush's plan and urging him to "consider all options and alternatives" to the planned increase of 21,500 troops.
In the House, members of the leadership drafted a series of what they called "strategic benchmarks," and said the White House should submit monthly reports to Congress measuring progress toward meeting them.
The developments occurred on the eve of Bush's State of the Union address, and as Democrats pointed toward votes in the House and Senate in the next few weeks declaring that the troop increase was "not in the national interest of the United States."
Republicans have struggled to respond in the two weeks since Bush outlined his new strategy in a speech. Though aware that the war played a role in the GOP defeat in last fall's elections, most have been unwilling to abandon a president of their own party.
Both the Senate legislation and the action taken by the House Republican leaders were softer than the legislation that majority Democrats intend to place for a vote. But they also represented a more forceful response to the long and deadly war than the GOP offered while it held the majority in Congress.
Sen. John Warner (news, bio, voting record) of Virginia, former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined GOP Sens. Susan Collins (news, bio, voting record) of Maine and Norm Coleman (news, bio, voting record) of Minnesota in producing the legislation expressing disagreement with Bush's plan.
"I personally, speaking for myself, have great concern about the American G.I. being thrust into that situation, the origins of which sometimes go back over a thousand years," Warner said.
Sen. Ben Nelson (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska, the Senate's most conservative Democrat, joined the Republicans.
In the House, Rep. John Boehner (news, bio, voting record) of Ohio, the party's leader, said that he supports Bush's plan and that his backing is not conditional on the president agreeing to meet the standards that lawmakers laid out.
He said he had told the president "that the support is still strong among Republicans but there are a lot of our members who are skeptical that the plan will work" because of doubts that the Iraqi government will follow through on its commitments.
Boehner also released a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., urging her to appoint a special committee of equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats to oversee the "implementation and progress of the president's new strategy for success in Iraq."
As the majority party, Democrats generally are entitled to more seats on House committees than Republicans, and it is unlikely Pelosi would agree to a different arrangement to monitor the war.
The House Republicans' suggested "strategic benchmarks" apply largely to the Iraqi government, which has pledged additional troops to quell sectarian fighting and to restrain Shiite militia.
Republicans want the government to be measured on its cooperation with U.S. forces, its ability to purge its security forces of insurgents and their sympathizers and also on its ability to assure that Shiite, Sunni, Kurd and other groups are treated equally.
___
Associated Press Writer Anne Flaherty contributed to this article
U.S. senators from both parties speak about their resolution which criticizes the Bush administration's escalation of troops in Iraq during a news conference in the Capitol in Washington January 22, 2007. From left are Senators John Warner (R-VA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME). REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES)
Coleman is the only name that surprises me in this article. Sad. He's tough on the border and a weenie on the war.
Coleman is up in '08 and just saw how the war weared on the Republican Senatorial candidate in his homestate in '06.
I said back in November the 110th congess doesnt support our troops, we are indicting soldiers for doing there job in a war zone and the 60-70pct of the Iraqis think its alright to kill US soldiers.What are we doing?
*sigh*
vote whores all
Gutless bastards that care about their own asses more than their country. Our 'leaders'.
There, title fixed.
The downside of voting GOP no matter what.
I'd say John McCain stands pretty tall right now in comparison to this bed-wetting wing of the GOP.
The Vichy Republicans
Warner's phone number (202) 224-2023, give him a call. It may not do any good, but it feels sooooo goooood.
With Republicans like these fools, who needs Democrats?
Norm isn't as conservative as we were led to believe when he was first elected...but, he represents Minnesota..which is about as lefty as any state in the nation.
I'm in Nebraska and it pains me to see Ben Nelson...a democrat elected twice to the Senate...the only way for Bush to overcome the tidal wave of discontent is to grab this bull by the horns and charge! President Bush, become the leader we all expect you to be! We know you can do it, make it happen! Quit with the mealey mouth "can't we all get along crap" and start LEADING! If you were to speak your mind forcefully and often, you could earn back the respect you need and rally the American people behind you to instill the fear of God into our enemies overseas...DO IT! Time is running out!
HOORAY for John Boehner....
I would like to post a positive post for a change re: our elected officials....so this is it.
I am glad that he not only backs Pres. Bush's plan..but even wants an equal group to oversee that it gets done.
LOL...of course her witchness of the House won't ever let it happen...but at least Boehner asked.
Someday, maybe I will forgive him for his slavish fawning over Pelosi the day that SHE took over as Speaker.
None of the wimpy Pubbies better call me for contributions! I'll tell em to grow a pair!I listened to Michael Reagan and he wants to pass a bill requiring all men libs to wear dresses and lipstick!! So we can recognize them right away! Ha!
This is the watered-down version. The one that it is hoped by those against the surge that they can get "moderates" on both sides of the aisle to sign onto. Not the original. This is for Senators too wimpy to go along with the total wimp-out-on-Iraq-and-the-President resolution.
He also has a non-com son serving in Iraq.
Tell the Congress-critters to get back to work at THEIR jobs and leave the President to HIS. Quit wasting our tax dollars on things that are NOT your responsibility!
When was Norm Coleman ever considered a conservative? He was a democrat at one time, and then a republican who could win a mayoral race in a liberal city.
He's against ANWR, for crying out loud.
However, he claims his opposition to the troop surge is based on conversations he had over in Iraq. I think he's frustrated that the Iraqi people aren't doing more, and thinks the surge is just doing what the Iraqi people wouldn't do for themselves.
There are conservatives who have fallen into the trap of thinking Iraq is about installing democracy in Iraq, and they now think Iraq doesn't deserve it, and want to punish them by leaving.
If we can remind them that the war in Iraq is not for the Iraqi people, but to keep US safe, they could get back to looking for ways to WIN THE WAR, instead of ways to get our troops OUT of the war.
LOL...great explanation of the Warner Wimpy bill.
That is correct, the initial version included support by Snowe among others, No wimp , she. ;-)
Bush won't do it, but there's nothing I'd love to see more tomorrow night than to hear the President tell these bastards about the aid & comfort they're giving our enemies.
Me too and he just might make known his sentiments.
Supposedly, these GOP Senators have met with the POTUS several times..and Pres. Bush as reminded them of the fact that this is about OUR national security..
If they choose not to listen..and want to go off on their own..tough, but I hope the voters in their states remember, come election time.
"vote whores all"
Yeah, you'd think they put more importance on their reelection than the defense of their country. /s
Well said!
You said it. Never trust a Republican. They're gutless wonders; each and every one.
bump
High praise coming from you; thank you!
RECALL COLEMAN!!!!
A handful are abandoning POTUS, so compute that to cover all?
Good grief.
That's exactly what they're hoping for...
You do realize that about %70 of the American public is against the war right now don't you? Whether you agree with them or not, being against the war is the politically expedient thing to do.
It would be wonderful if Pres. Bush did that.
I just heard that Zawahiri has put out a tape asking Pres. Bush to send more troops to Iraq...like 50,000 or 100,000, because they want more Americans to kill..he said they like to do that.
I am sure he hopes this will help Pres. Bush with his RINO buddies in the Senate that want to help....but putting out different plans, that would make Zawahiri even happier..but getting us OUT of Iraq sooner.
They love their jobs more than they love their country.
IF that is a true stat about the 70%...that is because they have become complacent after 9/11...and they have been lured into believing the propaganda by the MSM.
Thank goodness we have a POTUS/CIC that doesn't wage war by the polling system.
You covered every point I have been sitting here thinking and talking back to my computer screen! :)
Like I've said before, incompetence has consequences. The Administration ran Iraq onto jagged rocks, and now must live with the fact that many Republicans are going to jump ship and save their own skins rather than go down with it.
Politicians do what's politically viable, or they become ex-politicians. That's the nature of the beast. The voters were willing to give President Bush a lot of leeway to get the job done, but they're not seeing the results they want. The apparent lack of results and progress makes it increasingly difficult for Republicans to support the war.
Blame the media, blame democracy, blame whatever you like. Just don't be surprised when this trend continues.
Can you believe I've got some freeper telling me that posters don't come over to this forum from other candidate's offices and try and stir dissent????
This has been going on since the 90's, and Jim Robinson is mentioned in a book about this matter. I'm truly concerned that freepers are so naive.
This is really very very soft commentary. "Expressing skepticism" is the same as having doubts but giving the President the benefit of that doubt. The GOP doubters should insist on that language, which covers themselves, but the Democrats can never embrace it of their base will go crazy.
Non binding resolutions are strictly and only about politics so the GOP should craft its input to cause Democrats trouble with their own base.
I would wish that we never see another Klintoon or Bush ever running for a political office. I'm tired of the whole bunch of them. It seems that whatever their party affiliation is the opposing party comes out the winner after they see their pathetic leaderships. Are we to believe that there are no others but these 3 or 4 leading candidates in this "Two-Party Cartel" that aren't more qualified? I'll say again as I have when GW was 1st elected that when GW leaves office there will be no true conservative Supreme Court. There now will be no change with our unsecured borders with these top fools (candidates) making it to the presidency. How many times does it take for this humiliation before you drop this cartel?
This bunch would have hauled up the surrender flag in WWII after the Battle of the Bulge when we lost a lot of men while on the brink of winning the War. Do people have no sense of history or perspective? Amazing that they are willing to sacrafice America's reputation and allow 3,000 GI's to have died in vain just to perpetuate their own pathetic political careers. This is the same scenario as Viet Nam all over again. Although the wars are vastly different an incomparable by themselves the underming of the effort by the MSM and Democratic Party is on the verge of producing the same result.
Jackass could have said the same thing about Europe before Pearl Harbor. Battle of Hastings (1066), any one?
Hell, he probably helped build Hadrian's Wall!
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