Bush Won't Budge On Iraq Bill

(CBS/AP)  President Bush used blunt language Tuesday to make it clear that there's no way he'll sign the latest version of the war funding bill, now headed for passage, which still sets a timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports.

"It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you start to plan withdrawing," Mr. Bush said. "If we were to do so, the enemy would simply mark their calendars and begin plotting to take over the country when we leave."

In a statement to reporters, Mr. Bush said the American people did not vote for failure in Iraq — but that's precisely what the Democratic bill would guarantee.

"I'm disappointed that the Democratic leadership has chosen this course," Mr. Bush said. "They chose to make a political statement. That's their right, but it is wrong for our troops and it's wrong for our country. To accept the bill proposed by the Democratic leadership would be to accept a policy that directly contradicts the judgment of our military commanders."

House and Senate Democratic appropriators agreed Monday on a $124 billion bill that would fund the Iraq war but order troops to begin leaving by Oct. 1 with the goal of completing the pullout six months later. Democrats would need a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto.

Democrats said they won't back down and pointed to past remarks by Gen. David Petraeus, the new Iraq commander, that security in Iraq requires a political solution.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who said last week that the war in Iraq is "lost," likened Mr. Bush to President Lyndon Johnson, saying Johnson ordered troop escalations in Vietnam in an attempt "to save his political legacy" only to watch U.S. casualties climb steadily.

Reid said Democrats have sought Republican support for their attempts to force the president to change course. "Only the president is the odd man out, and he is making the task even harder by demanding absolute fidelity from his party."

He said Mr. Bush was in a "state of denial" about the situation in Iraq.

Mr. Bush said U.S. troops should not be caught in the middle of a showdown between the White House and Congress.

"Yesterday, Democratic leaders announced that they planned to send me a bill that will fund our troops only if we agree to handcuff our generals, add billions of dollars of unrelated spending and begin to pull out of Iraq by an arbitrary date," Mr. Bush said in the Rose Garden.

He said the bill would mandate the withdrawal of U.S. troops beginning as early as July 1 and no later than Oct. 1, despite the fact that Petraeus has not yet received all the reinforcements he has said he needs to help secure Baghdad and the troubled Anbar Province.

"It's not too late for Congress to do the right thing," Mr. Bush said.

[starleo146]

I tell you Realpatriot1 I know a lot of Americans feel that democracy is gone I don't blame you at all look what they done fixed every election since the 2000 election fixed the supreme court even if we do get an impeachment going HIS supreme court will fix it once again in HIS favor and now we learn he was trying to up end the whole justice system we cannot stop believing he will get his and our country will be back but at a great price 3300 so far and I don't know what the count is for injured.Watch this supreme court rulings they have a lifetime tenure God help us. Can a supreme court judge ever be taken off for a reason.

[starleo146]

I can't help it Dallison 7 I just love your posts I wish I was that quick and to the point and with great humor I just loved I'll get the Rope sorry but I think it is great to let someone know I agree so much with them

[starleo146]

Bush can VETO this bill but we should take our sweet time in sending him another, and when we do, send the same bill, he is the one taking money needed for the troops with his stubborness this man couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag, his attack dog Cheney make all the remarks for him, because frankly the man is retarded, and every day that goes by we should remind Bush these men, fighting your war, to you, are expendable, because you want to stay in Iraq forever, you sir kept the money to help these men you VETOED we gave you the money but it is your way isn't it TO HE** WITH THE TROOPS RUNNING THE STREETS OF IRAQ dodging the IUD's.It is a pity sir you never finished your national guard training you might understand a little what war is all about. A plan would have been nice for starters.

[dogband]

A timetable for pullout? But things are going so well there. In a few more dozen years and 10,000 or 20,000 more dead US troops we will have a good handle on the situation. We have already removed all the WMDs, we have started building a nice big wall, and we are well loved by the general population. This will go down as a shining example of democracy and nation building for my beloved president. Besides, all our of money making war machine factories are running at a high pace and making sooooo much money. Does the population not realize that [perpetual] WAR IS PEACE?

[naber1961]

Doesn't Bush realize that no matter when we leave they will just keep fighting? There will always be chaos in that area. That was a stupid question on my part, because he doesn't realize anything but his stupid agenda of being the cowboy hero, but the truth is he is a moron and Americans are paying the price monetarily but most importantly with lives of our real heroes, the military guys and girls. His bullying around the world has cost the US alot, and will take decades to fix.

[neoconrcrazy]

Bushit knows very well that we can't desert Iraq now that we've destroyed it. All his malarky isn't going to change the fact that America wants to start getting out - the Bush War is a failure of historic proportions - crimes have been committed.

Sign the veto Bushit and make it all happen ever quicker !

[karlimhof]

By signing the veto Bush will sign-off on his Bush War - it's over and we can help to clean up the mess but it's Iraq's problem now - God, what a stupid, stupid, Administration.

[harp1963]

"Men desire authority for its own sake that they may bear a rule, command and control other men, and live uncommanded and uncontrolled themselves" (St. Thomas More, A Dialogue of Comfort).

[me4prezz]

"Pentagon insiders say members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have long opposed the increase in troops and are only grudgingly going along with the plan because they have been promised that the military escalation will be matched by renewed political and economic efforts in Iraq. Gen. John P. Abizaid, the outgoing head of Central Command, said less than two months ago that adding U.S. troops was not the answer for Iraq.

Bush's decision appears to mark the first major disagreement between the White House and key elements of the Pentagon over the Iraq war since Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, then the Army chief of staff, split with the administration in the spring of 2003 over the planned size of the ".


---Hey, didn't Bush say in the article here that he "To accept the bill proposed by the Democratic leadership would be to accept a policy that directly contradicts the judgment of our military commanders."

Seems to me he has done that several times already. What makes this any different?

[sparks224]

Apparently the Press is still listening to him talk without laughing out loud.
I don%u2019t know how they do it.