Congressional Democrats were not swayed by President Bush’s impassioned call for a bigger U.S. force to quash sectarian violence and to bring stability to Iraq.
Democrats had been dismissive since last weekend, when the president first mentioned plans for a “surge” of forces.
“I am not confident that a troop buildup of perhaps any size that is doable will have the effect of stabilizing the situation that now exists in Iraq,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told the media at a briefing on Tuesday. “America cannot solve a civil war in Iraq.”
After hearing outlines of the president’s address Tuesday afternoon, Democratic attitudes hadn’t changed.
“This is more of the same, and he does not see how this will be successful,” said Hoyer’s spokeswoman, Stacey Bernards.
Bush met with congressional leaders Wednesday before his speech. He was joined by Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Bush told the skeptical Democrats that the U.S. can’t afford to fail in Iraq, according to Congressional sources. He then gave each delegate a chance to speak on his Iraq policy.
When the meeting was over, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Bush didn’t seem willing to listen.
“There’s a difference between notification and consultation,” she said.
Bush met with more than 100 lawmakers leading up to Wednesday’s speech. The Democrats promised to hear him out, but most have left meetings with him saying the Iraqis themselves have to pull their country back from the abyss.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said she supported the broad ideas behind Bush’s speech, but said she could “not support the president’s strategy until a plan emerges with specific mileposts for success and signposts to a measure of completion.”
Meanwhile, Bush has had problems in his own party as public opinion has continued to sour over the war. Most congressional Republicans support him, but hours before Bush delivered his speech, Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., took the Senate floor and denounced the “surge.”
Coleman’s seat is up in the 2008 elections and both parties believe that antiwar sentiment delivered majorities for the Democrats last November.
Other Republicans to have broken ranks on the president’s Iraq policy include Sens. Sam Brownback of Kansas, Gordon Smith of Oregon and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. Brownback and Hagel are considering runs for the presidency in 2008.
