President Bush is focusing on the new government in Iraq as the GOP House leaders prepares to take a symbolic vote on an Iraq resolution.
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the boss of the House political operation, said the resolution was designed to force a roll call to embarrass Democrats. The Rules panel–a necessary stop before sending legislation to the House floor– is scheduled to take up the Iraq resolution Tuesday afternoon and as of this writing, some 23 hours before the meeting, Democrats have not been given a copy of the measure.
The resolution is sponsored by House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.) but the driving force behind it is House Majority Leader John Boenher (R-Ohio.) I’ve heard there is a move to negotiate some compromise language with Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the committee.
If past experience holds, don’t expect the GOP-controlled House Rules Committee to allow other Democrats a chance to revise the proposed resolution to find some common ground.
A draft of the five-page resolution does not put a date for withdrawl of troops and is : “declaring that the United States will complete the mission in Iraq and prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.”
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release June 12, 2006
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AFTER MORNING MEETING WITH INTERAGENCY TEAM ON IRAQ
Camp David
12:33 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank Generals Abizaid and Casey, as well as
Ambassador Khalilzad for the last — for the briefing for the last three
hours. I thought your assessment of the situation in Iraq was very
realistic. I think your recommendations to us on how to win in Iraq, to
have an Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself
are — your recommendations are valid.
I look forward to continuing to visit with you later on this afternoon
about how we can help this new government succeed. Zal, you’ve been —
I just want to thank you all very much for remaining in theater and
working as hard as you are. You’re making a significant difference.
And again, please give my best congratulations to the troops on the
ground for bringing Zarqawi to justice. I fully recognize that’s not
going to end the war. On the other hand, it was a major blow to al
Qaeda and the killers and terrorists that are trying to spread violence
and suffering, and stop the emergence of a new democracy.
Zal, we left off where you were talking about the way forward in Iraq,
and your perception of this new government.
END 12:36 P.M. EDT
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Emanuel Responds to Republican Leadership and the Iraq Resolution
CHICAGO, IL – Following the Republican Leadership’s introduction
of the Iraq resolution:
“The American people had the right to expect that the first
casualty of the Iraq war would be partisanship, but that hasn’t been the
case under this Republican Leadership. Our nation deserves an open and
honest debate on the future direction of our military involvement in Iraq.
Instead, Majority Leader Boehner and the Republican Leadership have crafted
a resolution for debate focused on trying to embarrass Democrats. It is the
Republican Leadership that ought to be embarrassed for its three-year
failure to exercise its oversight responsibilities. Apparently, the
American people will still have to wait for a serious debate on Iraq that is
aimed at correcting bad policies instead of bad poll numbers.”
–END–