Bush Won't Budge On Iraq Bill

President Repeats Vow To Veto Any War Funding Bill That Sets A Timetable For Troop Pullout

(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.

[iceman_1960]

"In a statement to reporters, Mr. Bush said the American people did not vote for failure in Iraq"

In the last Congressional elections, they voted against the failed policies of an incompetent Commander-in-Chief.

He doesn't get it ?

[clemenhagen1]

This is typical Bush. Go back and look at his record in Texas and you see the same pattern. Tax cuts? You bet...even if they run up a deficit. Pass tax cuts and have them expire AFTER Bush leaves office. That way he never deals with the consequences of his own incompetence. Same goes for this war. Emergency supplemental funding four years into the war? Sure. Don't include it in the regular budget and certainly do not ask Bush to finish the job before he leaves office. His mode of operation? Never face the consequences of his own behavior or decision making. This war will follow the pattern: put off the task of concluding the war until after he is gone. More passing the buck from the guy who has the audacity to compare himself to Harry Truman. Truman said: "The buck stops here." Bush would never have the courage or the cajones for such responsibility.

[dallison7]

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



It's not too late for you to do the right thing, Chimp.

I'LL GET THE ROPE!!

[forthepeopl1]

NOW THIS IS WHAT WE ALL BEEN WAITTING FOR- HERE HE IMANCHESTER, N.H. - - Rudy Giuliani said if a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk of another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001.

But if a Republican is elected, he said, especially if it is him, terrorist attacks can be anticipated and stopped.

YA WE KNOW, THEY MADE UP ALL THE REST OF THE STORY..;IE LIE LIE LIE LIE. THEY WOULD COME OUT AND SAY LOOK WE SAVE THE WORLD AGIAN AND IT WAS IN THE NICK OF TIME THEY WERE GOING TO BLOW UP WASHINGTON, BUT WE REP. CAUGHT THEM FIRST...

THANK BUSH FOR US.. I AM SO GLAD WE THE PEOPLE ARE READY TO HAVE OUR OWN CIVIL WAR RIGHT IN WASHINGTON.. REVOLUTION IS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS MADNESS. NOW LETS GET TO IT AMERICA...

[all4change]

Oh now, come on. We all know Georgie is an angel. He is the reason I get out of bed each morning, because I hope to see/hear/read about all the wonderful things he is doing for America and humanity in general. He's such a handsome and eloquent gentleman, with his regal posture and musical voice. He consistently comes up with new ways to protect our country and help those American citizens who are poor and sick and homeless. Why, he is so genuinly concerned with the future of our nation, he came up with No Child Left Behind, so that the future leaders of America can be better educated than ever in hisory!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Anyway, do you Bushies walk around with little cartoon birds chirping all around and fairy tale music as the backdrop to your life??? Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*** has happened to this country?????
Blind allegiance. Makes me ill.

[dallison7]

Harry Reid calls D*ick Cheney a dog.

What an insult to dogs !!
Posted by Iceman_1960

REALLY!!

I was forced to have my 15 year old Cocker Spaniel 'put to sleep' last week. Poor old 'Smoky' must be turning in his grave being compared to a pig!!

[shingles1]

"Mr. Bush said the American people did not vote for failure in Iraq."

But some of us, hamiltongrad, voted for failure in the US by voting for BUSH.

[bluestardad]

THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE CAME UP WITH THIS SURGE PLAN! NO GENERAL DID IT! BUSH FIRED THE MILITARY COMMANDERS WHO DISAGREED WITH HIM. WRITE THEM AND LET THEM KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THEIR PLAN!

The American Enterprise Institute
1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036

Main telephone: [phone]
Main fax: [phone]
Corporate Relations:
Jason Bertsch
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Government Relations:
Andrew Levy
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

WHILE YOU ARE THANKING THE AEI FOR THE SURGE HERE ARE TWO CAROLINA SENATORS THAT SUPPORT THE WAR AND ARE UP FOR REELECTION. TELL THEM HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT SENDING YOUR TROOPS TO FIGHT IN A CIVIL WAR!

Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
Class II
555 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
[phone]
Web Form: dole.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.C...

Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
Class II
290 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
[phone]
Web Form: lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=contact

[realpatriot1]

Hamiltongrad,
The fever that's attacking our nation right now is your concept of freedom and democracy.

Your boy is so in love with freedom and democracy that he stays up nights figuring out ways to keep people from voting. When the Supreme Court and electoral college install him as a minority President he claims a mandate. When the voters deliver a decisive mandate he claims to be the decider.

Screw your concept of democracy!

[toldyouso21]

George Bush is no waffle!!!!!! Cry yourselves to sleep Liberal Democrats =)
Posted by didntinhale at 01:32 PM : Apr 24, 2007


Nope. He is just a big, fat liar. "Say the course?, I never said stay the course...my administration has never been about staying the course" and THAT is why Bush refuses to testify under oath--he is a born liar--can't help himself and he knows this.