WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2007
Senate Iraq Battle Nears Showdown
Multiple Resolutions On Bush Troop Buildup To Be Debated Next Week
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Play CBS Video Video Iraq War Debate Grows Louder As support for Sen. Joseph Biden's symbolic Iraq resolution proposal dies, opposition resolutions from Republicans are gaining momentum. Sharyl Attkisson reports.
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Video Capitol Bob On Iraq Opposition CBS News chief Washington correspondent and host of "Face The Nation" Bob Schieffer chats with Harry Smith about the Senate's ongoing opposition of President Bush's new Iraq plan.
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Video Congress Versus The President Congress is unhappy over President Bush's plan for Iraq. Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican, said that Mr. Bush is not the "sole decider" on war issues. Sharyl Attkisson reports.
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Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, left, and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., listen to testimony on Congress' constitutional power to end a war, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)
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Interactive New Plan For Iraq Key elements of the plan, excerpts from the president's speech, reaction and more.
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Interactive 110th Congress The balance of power shifts and new leadership takes control as the latest session convenes.
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
With a Senate showdown just days away, No. 2 GOP leader Trent Lott of Mississippi said he had concerns with each of a host of the resolutions introduced so far. If Republican leaders do not rally behind a single proposal, the party could avoid taking a clear, united stance on the widely unpopular Iraq war – a consequence Lott suggested he wouldn't mind.
"To herd the cat sometimes you have to let them stray," he said. "Think about that. Keeping them together by letting them stray."
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday became the latest senator to offer a resolution.
"It is time for us to fundamentally change our policy, it's time to give Iraqis their country back," said Obama, D-Ill. His plan called for all U.S. troops to be out of Iraq by March of next year.
It appears the original Iraq resolution, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Joe Biden and endorsed by Republican Chuck Hagel, is losing steam, CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports. It expresses symbolic opposition to the president's troop increase.
"It's dead, politically," said one Republican source.
Gaining steam are a similar bipartisan proposal from Repubican Sen. John Warner and a new alternative being drafted by Republicans John McCain and Lindsey Graham.
CBS News has learned the McCain-Graham resolution would "allow Republicans cover" by "admitting that the past strategy has failed." But it would support the president's troop surge. It would require Iraqi benchmarks like disarming the militia, allowing local community elections. It would not set out consequences because that, says one person close to the negotiations, "would empower the enemy."
The buildup to the vote on the Senate floor – which will probably be sometime next week – included a half dozen Congressional hearings Tuesday. In the Senate Judiciary Committee, Russell Feingold, a Democrat who chaired the hearing, said he wants to block all funding for the war.
"Congress has the power to stop a war if it wants to," said Feingold, D-Wisc., to a round of loud applause.
You don't usually hear cheers like that in Senate hearing rooms, reports Attkisson. You also don't often hear Republicans openly questioning the authority of a president of their own party.
"I would suggest, suggest respectfully to the president that he is not the sole decider," said Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the committee's ranking Republican. "The decider is a shared and joint responsibility."
Nerves were raw all over Capitol Hill. War protesters surged into Sen. Hillary Clinton's office, demanding she take an even stronger stand against the war. Police had to break things up.
Over in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, just back from visiting troops in Iraq, gave her assessment.
"The situation in Iraq is catastrophic. Let's make no mistake about that," said Pelosi, D-Calif.
CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer says Republicans may be using delaying tactics to postpone votes on the war resolutions as long as possible, the idea being the longer they can put those votes off, the better chance the Republicans will have to make them less critical of the president. Republicans deny all this, but they have managed to get the votes postponed until the middle of next week at the earliest.
Schieffer says he expects that "something is going to pass. Just how critical it's going to be, we don't know yet. But so many Republicans want to put some distance between themselves and the president that something is going to pass.
"These Republicans have read the polls," Schieffer said. "They're under enormous pressure, and they know it.
Here's a look at the proposals the Senate is expected to consider:
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See all 162 CommentsKick butt win the war and get our troops home.
NOT TO ALARM YOU OR ANYTHING. Just passing this along.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/
query/z?c110:H.R.393:
Universal National Service Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)
HR 393 IH
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 393
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the favorable treatment afforded combat pay under the earned income tax credit, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 10, 2007
Its not like a whole lot of us even here in America are thinking it so what's wrong with Congress/Senate saying it?
This is supposed to be the best Iraqi leader-- the right man for the right job--or at least the best that could get elected, according to the Bush Administration.
Now he is elected. Lets go him one better.
We can't just replace this fellow. He is their Prime Minister--he is voted in by his people according to the Bush administration.
So...If we shouldn't fight Iran from our hard won footing--because Iraq says so-- lets get the hell out of there and let them defend (or fail to defend) their own country.
There are obviously a large number of identity challenged individuals and countries in this region. Let them work that out before we decide to try and marry each one!!!
DUH!
Out of Iraq! NOW. NOW. NOW.
Lost a war? Dream on.
Thats nothing more than right wing gossip.
It's the continuing rhetoric from you Bushies & Bush's losing the Iraq war which fuels most of this.
randyBS
How are things over at the CBS offices? Is your job to just keep the pot boiling?
Nobody else has any solutions. All you backbiters are good for is to condemn Bush for what he did try to do. Bush got advice from the CIA, think tanks, the Generals in our military service, and our allies. Nobody else came up with any solutions on how to extract from the Guld region and leave Saddam in charge.
Matter of fact, back then, when Saddam was busy slaughtering Iraqi citizens, all you backbiting traitors were paying lip service to Saddams evil empire. How fast the wind changes.
Posted by notblue at 04:39 PM : Jan 31, 2007
No. From a free American. Like it or not I have a right to the right opinion. You have a right to your opinion too, but not to your own facts and history. You have a right to lie like you do, but not without being corrected and challenged. Someday perhaps the Bush fans will get their way and we'll become another Nazi Germany where only the word of Der Fuhrer is accepted as truth, but not while freedom loving Americans like me are still alive. We won't let you get away with destroying this country many of us have fought for. You are yours will NOT steal my country from the free. Not while I'm alive!
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