GOP Moderates Warn Bush On Iraq

Moderate Republicans Tell Bush Their Support Will Be Lost If Iraq Conditions Do Not Improve Soon

(CBS/AP)  In the hours leading up to Congress' latest vote on a funding bill for the Iraq War, Republican moderates met with President Bush in what has been characterized as a "very frank" discussion with the president.

During a private meeting in the White House residence Tuesday, attended by Mr. Bush, several key White House officials and 11 moderate Republicans, the Congressional leaders warned the president that their continued support comes at a price — namely, certifiable proof of progress in the war.

They really gave it to the president, says CBS News Chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer, basically telling him if there is not a dramatic change on the ground in Iraq, the president is not going to be able to hold the Republican support he now has on Capitol Hill.

The meeting was a prelude to Vice President Dick Cheney's surprise trip to Iraq Wednesday, during which he met with Iraqi officials on a variety of issues, from security in Baghdad to the Iraqi parliament's announced two-month summer recess. One administration official characterized the tone of Cheney's message to be, "We've got to get this work done. It's game time."

That seems to have been the message from Congressional Republicans to the White House as well.

Mr. Bush was reportedly told that the war is unsustainable without public support and is having a corrosive effect on the GOP's political fortunes. Congressman Charles Dent says he told the president that his Pennsylvania constituents are "impatient, and in some cases have a sense of futility" about the war.

Virginia Republican Tom Davis says he told the president that recent polling data from his suburban Washington district shows Bush's unfavorability ratings exceeded his approval ratings.

"We asked them what's Plan B," said Davis. "We let them know that the status quo is not acceptable."

Davis told CBS Radio affiliate WTOP, "Members are saying, you know, 'My constituents don’t care if we lose this war, they want out of this at this point,' and just giving him the public mood."

"The president listened, he was engaged," Davis said. "This was not what I'd call a 'suck-up' session."

However, Davis also said the president responded that if he began discussing a new strategy, his current one never would have a chance to succeed.

Following the reports on the president's meeting, White House spokesman Tony Snow will only say there are "a number of different views" within the president's party on "how to proceed in Iraq," reports CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer.

Snow said any claims of a Republican revolt are wrong, and he tried to change the subject to what he described as disunity among Democrats on Iraq war funding.

Moderate Republicans up for reelection in 2008 are "very anxious to get this thing over with," says CBSNews.com Senior Political Editor Vaughn Ververs. "They're going to start defecting — and Democrats are just waiting for that to happen."

Today, Mr. Bush attended a "tank session" at the Pentagon, where he received the latest assessment on Iraq from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Mr. Bush continues to believe that the surge in U.S. forces will help secure the Iraqi capital and let the government there stabilize the country, says CBS News correspondent Mark Knoller, but the Pentagon says it cannot come to a fair judgment on that until September.

Following his Pentagon meeting, Mr. Bush said the White House will seek agreement with Congress on benchmarks to measure progress in Iraq. At the same time, re repeated his pledge to veto a bill that would cut of funding for the war by the end of July.

"We reject that idea. It won't work," the president said.

White House officials decided the president should change course by declaring what he is for since he been emphatic about what he is against.

"One message I have heard from people of both parties is that benchmarks make sense and I agree," Mr. Bush said. He said his chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, would talk with congressional leaders "to find common ground on benchmarks.

While the White House is calling the President's Pentagon meeting "routine," there is nothing routine about public messages being made by three retired generals. In ads being run by the advocacy group VoteVet.org, the retired officers challenge the president's argument that he listens to his commanders on the ground in Iraq.

"I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste told reporters in a conference call. "Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history. Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates."

[david1737]

The Neo-cons are watching their house of cards coming down. The policy of "preemption" is having its death rattle.

[logicanada]

how typical of the republican g.o.p. to want tangible results on the war in Iraq amid sliding public support solely to ease the corrosive effect on their political fortunes. Never mind the thousands of casualties, the economy,the world view the resulting scandals etc. etc.

[drivelphobe]

GOP moderates are squirming, trying to play both ends against the middle. They only want to get re-elected and are concerned their jobs and pensions are on the line. What a bunch of whining babies. Bush has kept this country safe from the terrorists. The democrats are ruining our country with this devisiveness, making it almost impossible to win the war. Bush's hands are tied at the most critical time in this war. We need to clear out the jihadists, killing every last one of them. We need to fight the war the way the jihadists understand it, and that is with overwhelming force. These people respect only brute force and violence, and that's what we should give them. No holds barred. Go George!

[dodaz-2009]

.."Frank" Discussion ?... It should have been a
.."Larry,Moe & Curly" -discussion as well...LOL

[pepperp1]

Moderate Republican Congress Persons put your vote where your mouth is the press release didn%u2019t do it%u2019s job we still know this is your War and you also have no creditability on this issue with voters. End this unnecessary war, bring our troops home, admit you were wrong and deal with the accountability now before more of our soldiers die needlessly. It is too late for the Party to escape the ownership and accountability for this war, even if the Democrats cut off funding or if in Jan 2009 the new President, who won%u2019t be a republican thanks to you all, brings the troops home. Your planned strategy and sound bites of it wasn%u2019t us Republicans who cut and ran, if we would only have stayed for another 10 years and spent 5 Trillion dollars and 1,000 of more dead we could cause we believe in success also is a loser you need a new party Genius.

[pepperp1]

I don't buy any of this it is a political stunt they need to put there vote were their mouth is and they did not.

[neoconrcrazy]

Benchmarks are not "acceptable" to his Lordship Bushit.

Now they are.

Congress must neuter this madman - not allow him to make any new moves - and wait till his sorry azzz is out of Washington.

He is a shmae on this Nation.

[shanev137]

"PLAN B" for Bush is to let Armageddon run it's course.

[shanev137]

"Moderate Gopers" look like they're finally having problems sleeping at night now...while our troops keep getting slaughtered in Iraq for no good reason.

[fairandbal]

Can this idiot some would call President be at all serious!? Benchmarks!? Why start talking about BENCHMARKS in year 4 of a war and occupation and after losing 3000+ american service people!? The utter stupidity of this statement can only suggest that this man is totally insane!
Benchmarks are WAY WAY WAY too late and the only 'compromise' that this president needs to consider is getting the US troops out of Iraq NOW!

[kstrisha]

Quote:

"I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste told reporters in a conference call. "Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history. Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates."

======

Common sense prevails, at least with some of the men who have actually FOUGHT for our country.

[marko0357]

As a lifelong Republican I am outrage at the actions of the president. He has committed our troops to a civil war and has not listened to any advise and surrounded himself with yes people. Perhaps the Repubilcian congressmen and defense secretary have the guts to say no to the person who did not serve in the same kind of mess he commits our soldiers to.

[marko0357]

As a lifelong Republican I am outrage at the actions of the president. He has committed our troops to a civil war and has not listened to any advise and surrounded himself with yes people. Perhaps the Repubilcian congressmen and defense secretary have the guts to say no to the person who did not serve in the same kind of mess he commits our soldiers to.

[marko0357]

As a lifelong Republican I am outrage at the actions of the president. He has committed our troops to a civil war and has not listened to any advise and surrounded himself with yes people. Perhaps the Repubilcian congressmen and defense secretary have the guts to say no to the person who did not serve in the same kind of mess he commits our soldiers to.

[formrusmcsgt]

Tell me that these Repubs aren't worried about having to leave town with dubya in '09!

These same individuals a couple of months ago were decrying the Dems effort to bring an end to this boondoggle as "abandoning the troops" and proposing a "recipe for failure".

My, my, my, haven't they become the voice of reason of late? Telling Dubya what's up?

I find it interesting when the accusation hurlers suddenly realize a streak of common sense.

Have they seen the light or are they feeling the heat?

[marko0357]

As a lifelong Republican I am outrage at the actions of the president. He has committed our troops to a civil war and has not listened to any advise and surrounded himself with yes people. Perhaps the Repubilcian congressmen and defense secretary have the guts to say no to the person who did not serve in the same kind of mess he commits our soldiers to.

[toldyouso21]

Okay, where is the rest of the blog?

[skyk-2009]

It is such a shame to see a once dignified party like the Republican's drug through the mud like Bush and Rove have done. I think they have waited far to long and are far to late to save their party. From what I hear from people in the Northeast, Midwest and West, the party is just about done for.... the South is about the only place they still have support. What happened is plain to see, the party sold it's very soul for Power. The type of corrupt, poluted power that turns American's off. After Joe McCarthy they should have known better.

[skyk-2009]

It is such a shame to see a once dignified party like the Republican's drug through the mud like Bush and Rove have done. I think they have waited far to long and are far to late to save their party. From what I hear from people in the Northeast, Midwest and West, the party is just about done for.... the South is about the only place they still have some type of hope.

[skyk-2009]

It is such a shame to see a once dignified party like the Republican's drug through the mud like Bush and Rove have done. I think they have waited far to long and are far to late to save their party. From what I hear from people in the Northeast, Midwest and West, the party is just about done for.... the South is about the only place they still have some type of hope.