Dem Leaders To Bush: Not Too Late On Iraq
Democratic leaders told President Bush on Friday that it's not too late to change course in Iraq and pleaded with him not to hand the war off to the next president.
"We believe there is still time for you to recognize that a change in strategy is necessary to repair the grave damage done to our nation's security," the Democrats wrote.
The letter was intended as advance rebuttal to next week's testimony by Gen. David Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador there. Petraeus and Crocker are expected to say the recent buildup in troops has succeeded in improving security but that more time is needed before more U.S. forces can be withdrawn in significant numbers.
The Democrats said this approach is unacceptable and that they would pursue an alternative policy through legislation. But they face an uphill battle.
Lacking a veto-proof majority, Democrats failed both last year and this year to force Mr. Bush to withdraw troops. The only guarantee to end the war would be for Congress to cut off money for troops while in combat - a position that not enough Democrats support and which Republicans universally oppose.
The lack of options has left Democrats with mostly rhetoric, as it becomes all but certain that the next president will have to manage the war once Mr. Bush leaves office.
"The current Iraq strategy has no discernible end in sight and requires the United States to spend additional hundreds of billions of dollars despite urgent national needs in education, health care, and infrastructure improvement, and when high oil prices have provided the Iraqi government with billions in additional revenue that could pay for their own redevelopment and security," the Democrats wrote.
"This strategy is neither sustainable nor in our broader national security or economic interest," they said.
The letter was signed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois.