Politics

Fighting Over War Resolutions On The Hill

By James Klatell

January 31, 2007 / 2:24 PM EST / CBS

By CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

The Iraq War and what Congress should do about it have started its own skirmishes on Capitol Hill. No fewer than seven Iraq War resolutions have been introduced in the Senate so far, and other ideas are being shopped around.

The original resolution that started everything, put forth by Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., and supported by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., apparently has lost steam. It symbolically opposes the President's troop increase. "It's dead, politically" one Republican source told CBS News.

One of the top contenders is a similar alternative from Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. It, too, opposes the president, but calls his troop increase a "plan" to "augment" forces.

Also fighting for votes is a third plan crafted by two veteran dealmakers: Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

CBS News has learned that a draft of the McCain-Graham plan has four components.

First: It "recognizes past mistakes" and that "the old strategy failed."

Second: It establishes benchmarks for the Iraqis to meet such as disarming the militia, sharing oil revenue and allowing local community elections.

Third: It outlines the consequences of a "failed state."

Fourth: it expresses full confidence in Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus as commander and leader in the Iraq war effort, and pledges he will have all the resources he needs to fulfill the mission.

Notably, the McCain-Graham resolution does not lay out deadlines, timetables or consequences for the Iraqis if they don't meet the benchmarks. Graham tells CBS News that doing so "would be playing into the hands of the enemy."

Last year, McCain and Graham managed to get support behind a plan to try terror suspects in military court and outlining the defendants' rights as well as rules for humane treatment.

Several other ideas are floating around the Senate, but are considered non-starters:

Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., wants a troop cap with a requirement that the President obtain authority from Congress before any troop increase.

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., wants to eliminated the entire war budget in six months;

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has a measure bringing the troops home in six months;

Sen. Barak Obama, D-Ill., who's running for president, wants U.S. forces out by March 2008.

Behind the scenes, supporters of the various proposals are trolling for votes. Getting enough for any one of them isn't proving easy.

Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., remains hospitalized and is not expected to vote. That puts the Senate balance, at least temporarily, at 50 Democrats, 49 Republicans. To have a chance at passing, the winning resolution must be able to get a full 60 votes – the number needed to avoid a Senate filibuster.

By Sharyl Attkisson