House Rejects Timetable for Iraq Pullout

House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi of Calif., left, accompanied by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., meets reporters outside the White House, Wednesday, June 14, 2006 after a meeting between Congressional leaders and President Bush, Wednesday, June 14, 2006. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson) (Lawrence Jackson - AP)

Democrats denounced the GOP-orchestrated debate and vote as a politically motivated charade, and most, including Pelosi, voted against the measure. They said that supporting it would have the effect of affirming Bush's "failed policy" in Iraq.

Still, 42 Democrats broke ranks and joined with all but three Republicans to support the resolution. Two Republicans and three Democrats declined to take a position by voting present.

Balking carried a risk for Democrats, particularly when they see an opportunity to win back control of Congress from the GOP, because Republicans were expected to use Democratic "no" votes to claim that their opponents don't support U.S. troops.

Sure enough, within two hours of the House vote, the Republican Senate campaign committee circulated news releases that said Rep. Harold Ford Jr., a Democrat running for an open Senate seat in Tennessee, and Rep. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat challenging Sen. Mike DeWine in Ohio, voted to "cut and run" from Iraq.

Lawmakers were mindful of the political implications of the votes throughout the debate that ran more than 12 hours over two days.

In floor speeches, several GOP incumbents who face tough challenges from Democrats in November tried to strike a balance. They carefully criticized the resolution that their leaders had written, calling it weak and incomplete, but then reluctantly voted in favor of it.

"The American people are looking to us to answer their questions on how much progress is being made, what are the Iraqis themselves willing to do to fight for their freedom and when will our men and women come home," Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-Pa., said.

Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., agreed, saying: "We should be having a debate and a discussion on how we will prevail, not just that we want to prevail."

Republicans and Democrats alike explained the decision, as each side saw it, that confronts voters.

"The choice for the American people is clear; don't run in the face of danger, victory will be our exit strategy," Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said.

Countered Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.: "It's not a matter of stay the course. It's a matter of change direction."

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Editors: The resolution on Iraq that the House passed on Friday is H. Res. 861. It can be found at the Library of Congress web site http://thomas.loc.gov