Senate GOP Will Not Block Iraq Bill

U.S. army soldiers from B Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment search an abandoned building in west Baghdad's Ghazaliyah neighborhood, Iraq, Sunday, March 25, 2007, alongside their Iraqi colleagues. The U.S. and Iraqi forces continued house searches throughout the dangerous Sunni area of Ghazaliyah Sunday, discovering caches of weapons and ammunition. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic) (Marko Drobnjakovic - AP)

Sen. John McCain, a presidential contender for 2008, told reporters in Dallas Monday that the debate is not about whether to bring troops home.

"It's a date certain for surrender, a date certain for us to tell our enemies we're leaving and they will have their way."

In a conference call with reporters, McConnell said the nonbinding nature of the Senate deadline would be a distinction lost on U.S. foes and the measure would serve as a "memo to our enemies to let them know when they can operate again."

Likewise, Bush has said he will veto any measure that attempts to micromanage the war.

"These Democrats believe that the longer they can delay funding for our troops, the more likely they are to force me to accept restrictions on our commanders, an artificial timetable for withdrawal and their pet spending projects. This is not going to happen," Bush said last week.

Whether Republicans can prevent such a showdown between Bush and Congress is unclear. Democratic leaders have labored to bolster support for their proposal and their success could hinge on a single vote.

Earlier this month, the Senate rejected a similar timetable on the war with Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas siding with Republicans against the proposal in a 50-48 vote.

Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon was the lone Republican voting in favor of the resolution.

Since the March 15 vote, Reid and others have made changes in hopes of persuading Nelson and Pryor to support the withdrawal proposal. The changes include a series of suggested goals for the Iraqi government to meet to provide for its own security, enhance democracy and distribute its oil wealth fairly.

Nelson said last week he agreed to support the measure because the benchmarks "can be used by Congress to make future decisions about U.S. military presence in Iraq."

Pryor remains reluctant.

"I think if the public timetable remains, Senator Pryor would likely oppose it," said spokesman Michael Teague.

While most Republicans are expected to reject setting a timetable in Iraq, the vote is likely to be a difficult one for those facing re-election next year.

A solid majority of Americans want their representatives in Congress to support legislation calling for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2008. Nearly six in 10 want their members of Congress to support such a bill, and one-third want them to oppose it, according to a poll released Monday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.