Republicans new political cover plan for Iraq would hang our troops out until after Bush leaves

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Republican US senators call for end to Iraq war, but only after Bush leaves presidency

The Associated Press
Published: September 28, 2007


WASHINGTON: A small group of Republicans facing election fights next year have rallied around war legislation they think could unite the party: Call for an end to U.S. combat in Iraq, but wait until President George W. Bush is almost out of office.

The majority Democrats deemed the proposal a nonstarter and underscored on Friday the difficulty Congress has in striking a bipartisan compromise about the war. What attracts Democrats has repelled Republicans and vice versa, making it impossible so far to find middle ground.

"I don't support it at all," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "It doesn't do anything."

The proposal, by Republican Sen. George Voinovich, would require that Bush change the mission of U.S. troops from combat to primarily support roles, such as training Iraqi security forces and protecting U.S. infrastructure in Iraq. His legislation would set a goal of completing such a mission transition within 15 months.

If enacted immediately, that timeline would not kick in until Bush's last couple of weeks in office.

"That's very courageous," Reid quipped when a reporter asked him Friday about the proposal.


report: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/29/america/NA-GEN-US-Iraq.php

[aquart]

1. They don't care how many Americans they murder.

Never did.

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2. cynical occupation

It's gotta suck for the troops to have their deployments so tied to politics

[Zandor]

3. They have hung their hat on this war so long

It's hard to imagine, even on the eve of Bush leaving.