July 11, 2007

Iraq: Dole, Bond Join Chorus Of GOP Dissenters

President Bush is once again vowing to wield the veto pen if Congress passes legislation calling for a scheduled withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq within the next year.

This time, however, Bush is increasingly alone in his confrontation with Capitol Hill. North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole yesterday became the latest GOP senator to hint at an imminent exit from Iraq.

"Simply put, our troops have been doing a great job, but the Iraqi government has not," Dole said in a statement. "Our commitment in Iraq is not indefinite, nor should the Iraqi government perceive it to be. It is my firm hope and belief that we can start bringing our troops home in 2008."

Dole, who chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2006 midterm elections, is up for re-election next year.

In her statement, Dole acknowledges her initial support for the troop buildup strategy Bush and Gen. David Petraeus, chief U.S. commander in Iraq, laid out in January and concedes that it's "too early to declare the ultimate success or failure of this strategy." But Dole's frustration with the Iraqi government's failure to hold up its end of the bargain highlights lawmakers' growing concerns that military might alone will not get the job done.

Another once-reliable Bush backer, Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., lashed out at the president yesterday, blaming him for pursuing the wrong strategy in the early years of the war.

The White House is continuing to press lawmakers to hold off on any withdrawal plans until Petraeus' progress report on the surge, which is scheduled for mid-September. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley is also headed to Capitol Hill today to try to bolster GOP support for the war. And AP reports this morning that officials will brief Congress tomorrow with a 23-page classified report detailing both the progress and shortcomings of the U.S.-backed government in Iraq.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said he cannot wait until September, and he predicted yesterday that Democrats would win enough votes to override a presidential veto of his amendment calling for a troop pullout next spring.

Posted at 11:33 AM
Posted to: Congress, David Petraeus, Iraq, President Bush, Senate
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