New GOP Bill Challenges Bush Iraq Policy - Yawn

[NNN0LHI]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_IRAQ?SITE=ILKAN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two top Republicans cast aside President Bush's pleas for patience on Iraq Friday and proposed legislation demanding a new strategy by mid-October to restrict the mission of U.S. troops.

The proposal, by veteran GOP Sens. John Warner of Virginia and Richard Lugar of Indiana, came as the Pentagon conceded a decreasing number of Iraqi battalions are able to operate on their own.

"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," the Warner-Lugar proposal states.

Democrats and the White House were dismissive of the proposal. However, it could attract significant support from GOP colleagues who are frustrated by Iraq but reluctant to break ranks with their party or force the hand of a wartime president.

[rusty charly]

1. if this were a democratic proposal

they'd already have the WH response and the headline would be "Bush to veto New Iraq War Proposal"- with the word "resolute" or "defiant" in the first paragraph.

When the republicans do something, it gets it's own story. When the democrats do something, the lede is the bush reaction first.

funny, that.

[NNN0LHI]

2. I have noticed that before

Its to make Republicans appear strong and the Democrats look weak. A lot of mental midgets fall for that scam over and over again too.

Don

[gulliver]

3. GOP political hedge/scam

Don't make me laugh. Bush wants Congress to wait until September before judging progress. So the two designated GOP wise men propose a bill "demanding" a new strategy by mid-October. That's fairly brilliant as scams go. It takes pressure off of Bush and the GOP now, and gives the GOP credit in October for a new strategy after the surge is finally declared a failure in September.

"We demand that you take action in three months!"

Truly one for the master playbook...