Warner's call for troop withdrawals roils White House, senator says he stands by remarks

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. John Warner's suggestion that some troops leave Iraq by the end of the year has roiled the White House, with administration officials saying they've asked the influential Republican to clarify that he has not broken politically with President Bush.

But Warner said Friday he stands by his remarks and that he took no issue with how his views have been characterized.

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The political wrangling comes as the White House and Congress are headed toward a historic showdown on the Iraq war. Next month, Gen. David Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker are expected to update Congress on the results of Bush's decision earlier this year to send 30,000 additional troops to Iraq

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Warner's remarks were significant. While he said he would still oppose Democratic legislation ordering troop withdrawals, it was the first time he had embraced pulling troops out by a certain date. It also put him at odds with the president by rejecting Bush's long-held assertion that only security conditions on the ground should dictate deployments and that any announced redeployments would be an unhelpful broadcast of war plans to the enemy.

Read more: http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=6980373&nav=0RZF

[TwilightGardener]

1. Oh, yeah. We've seen this act before. "Oh gee, the WH is so mad at me!

But I'm just so independent, dammit! I'm speaking my conscience!" Puh-LEEZ! It's the same old Arthur Murray choreographed GOP dance.

[rodeodance]

2. and noted his remarks speak for themselves.

After Warner made his ideas public -- and attracted headlines suggesting he had effectively broken with the president on the war -- White House officials said they reached out to Warner's staff and asked him to clarify his position.

According to an administration official, Warner's staff agreed that the story was being portrayed incorrectly as Warner splitting with the president.

"They said they'd take steps to deal with it,'' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the private conversations.

However, in the AP interview, Warner said he personally had not been asked to revise his comments and he took no issue with how his views were reported. When asked whether he had indeed split with Bush on Iraq, he declined to say and noted his remarks speak for themselves.

"You have to surmise that on your own,'' he said.

[hatrack]

3. The current escalation can't be maintained past April 2008 anyway . . .

So it's not like he's calling for an end to something which would otherwise just continue indefinitely at current force levels.

:eyes:

[MasonJar]

4. According to NPR, Warner called for a big whopping 5000 troops

out and home for Christmas. There is generosity for you! Bring them all home and leave the Iraqis to mend their country. We do need to supply the money; we broke it; we fix it.

[truthisfreedom]

5. Bringing home 5000 troops out of 150K volunteer plus 150K dogs of war represents 1.7% change.

Warner wants to send a symbolic message to Prez al-Malarkey, and the administration is going to do flip-flops all over itself trying to deal with his public announcement. I can't wait to see how this plays out.

[radfringe]

6. yeah right.... stands by his remarks right before

he falls down after emerging from a meeting at the white house

to paraphrase a cliche "it won't be over until the fat senator sings a different tune"