Democrats Say They Will Keep Pressing for U.S. Iraq Withdrawal

[babylonsister]

Democrats Say They Will Keep Pressing for U.S. Iraq Withdrawal

By Nadine Elsibai

Sept. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Congressional Democrats said they will keep pressing for a withdrawal of American forces from Iraq even if Army General David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander there, argues for more time.

Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, said President George W. Bush's strategy of deploying more U.S. troops in Iraq this year has failed because the Iraqi government didn't achieve the political stability that Bush said was possible if security improved. Senator Edward Kennedy said American forces are being ``held hostage'' by the ineffectiveness of Iraq's elected leaders.

``The reality is that we were supposed to stand up the Iraqis so that the Americans could stand down,'' Biden, a Delaware Democrat who recently visited Iraq, said on NBC's ``Meet the Press'' program. ``We've been hearing that for five years. We're nowhere near being able to do that.''

Bush faces a showdown in Congress over Iraq as lawmakers express impatience with the pace of progress in the conflict. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are scheduled to testify before Congress tomorrow and the next day on the military and political situation. Bush plans to address the nation this week before turning over to lawmakers his status report on the war, which is due by Sept. 15.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aZ3HJ.6hIfjs&refer=us

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Democrats response seems kind of lame

someone somewhere in the Democrats has to light a fuse!

[babylonsister]

2. Maybe they're keeping their powder dry until

Tuesday. :crazy:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Hmmmm!

[BlooInBloo]

4. Um, when did they start? Certainly Joe "More War" Biden never did.

[fed-up]

5. martial law sept 15th?? air force stand down-something else standing down next week??? nt

[democrat in Tallahassee]

6. Pressing? Funny, I thought they were the majority.

Silly me.