By Deborah McGregor in Washington
Published: July 12 2004 19:14 | Last Updated: July 12 2004 19:14
President George W. Bush chose Tennessee on Monday as the backdrop to launch a spirited defence of his Iraq policy, underscoring the political pressures he is now facing from within his Republican party on the issue.
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Oak Ridge falls within the third congressional district represented by Zach Wamp, a Republican who supported Mr Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq. But just down the road - in the second congressional district of Tennessee - another story has been unfolding. There, John Duncan, a popular, long-serving Republican congressman who is expected to win re-election easily in November, has shown no sign of backing down from his strong opposition to the war.
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"I represent a district that has voted Republican for Congress and president since the founding of the Republican party," said Mr Duncan in a statement last September. "Yet now there are many life-long Republicans who are wondering why in the world we are borrowing billions to rebuild Iraq when there are so many people unemployed and so many needs here at home.
"Many, possibly even most, Republicans in the House have expressed misgivings and concerns about our policy in Iraq but have reluctantly gone along with the White House."
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