GOP Senators Draft Bill Requiring Bush to Narrow Mission of U.S. Troops

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/13/AR2007071301314.html

GOP Senators Draft Bill Requiring Bush to Narrow Mission of U.S. Troops

By ANNE FLAHERTY and PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press Writers
Friday, July 13, 2007; 4:44 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two prominent Senate Republicans have drafted legislation that would require President Bush by mid-October to come up with a plan to dramatically narrow the mission of U.S. troops in Iraq.

The legislation, which represents a sharp challenge to Bush, was put forward Friday by Sens. John Warner and Richard Lugar and it came as the Pentagon acknowledged that a decreasing number of Iraqi army battalions are able to operate independently of U.S. troops.

"Given continuing high levels of violence in Iraq and few manifestations of political compromise among Iraq's factions, the optimal outcome in Iraq of a unified, pluralist, democratic government that is able to police itself, protect its borders, and achieve economic development is not likely to be achieved in the near future," the Warner-Lugar proposal said.

Bush has asked Congress to hold off on demanding a change in the course of the war until September, when the top U.S. commander, Gen. David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, delivers a fresh assessment of its progress.

Warner, R-Va., and Lugar, R-Ind., are well regarded within Congress on defense issues. Warner was the longtime chairman of the Armed Services Committee before stepping down last year, while Lugar is the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee.

The Warner-Lugar proposal states that "American military and diplomatic strategy in Iraq must adjust to the reality that sectarian factionalism is not likely to abate anytime soon and probably cannot be controlled from the top."

more...

[rubberducky]

1. Congress dithers, while people die.

[Robbien]

2. Why are GOPers drafting bills?

Dems were not allowed to bring bills up for a vote when they were the minority.

Geeze. Just hand the whole congress over to the GOPers why don't you Reid?

[babylonsister]

3. Think Progress: GOP senators want new war authorization

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/13/gop-senators-want-new-war-authorization/

GOP senators want new war authorization.

Sens. Richard Lugar (R-IN) and John Warner (R-VA) “said today that President Bush should seek a new war authorization and present a plan to Congress by Oct. 16 outlining contingency plans in Iraq. Those plans, which would include reducing American forces, should begin by the end of the year.” Their measure will be “considered next week when the Iraq war debate resumes.”

[karynnj]

5. The Democrats could and did draft bills - it was tough to get them to pass

but some did. Two I know of off the top of my head - Kerry's Secret Prisons amendment that passed with over 80 votes and the Kerry written bill that was written to aid small businesses hurt by Katrina - to get that passed - the name had to be changed from Snowe/Kerry to Snowe/Vitter WHILE IT WAS UP FOR A VOTE - but it was still written by Kerry. (This is to give examples - I follow Kerry more than any other Senator, so these were examples I had.)

Here, Warner and Lugar are limiting what can be done - this is likely good. Sometimes they can get things passed that we can't.

[wiggs]

4. This is a transparent attempt to give WH and GOP more time

Maybe I'm cynical now, but these GOP congressmen who are "splitting" from the president have sure been vocal about demanding that development of a new plan be considered. Could it be that they are acting tough and indepedent for the voters, but in reality what they are demanding is going to end up as cover for the WH?

They are simply giving the WH group who got us into this mess a chance to come up with some other goofball plan that is guaranteed to increase chaos and keep us there. The plan will not be serious.

It will be promoted by everyone (including dems) as serious and new, but we can be pretty sure that conditions on the ground will not change...only the public's perception of it will change.

I'm cynical, but how can anyone not be?