Craig Crawford's Trail Mix: GOP Lawmakers’ Stance on Iraq Still a Rhetorical Question [View All]

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Craig Crawford's Trail Mix: GOP Lawmakers’ Stance on Iraq Still a Rhetorical Question

By Craig Crawford
19 minutes ago

Ever since Sen. John Warner of Virginia returned from Iraq last October and announced that the war was “drifting sideways,” he and other leading Republicans on Capitol Hill have gently drifted away from President George W. Bush.

It is still little more than drifting, despite the breathless reaction to Sen. Richard Lugar’s subtle floor speech on Monday.

The Indiana Republican and former Foreign Relations Committee chairman hardly abandoned the president as advertised — saying the current troop surge shows “very limited” prospect for success, but rejecting timetables for withdrawal in favor of what he called a “sustainable military posture.”

Lugar also emphasized that he had no plans for any legislation putting his words into action.

Clearly, these respected GOP leaders are trying to pressure the president to soften his stand, but until they start casting votes that make a real difference, Democrats running Congress cannot get the numbers they need to override vetoes — which is probably the only pressure that will ever force Bush to yield.

link

What Sen. Lugar Misunderstands (in calling for Bush to change course in Iraq)