Republicans Soften Stance on Pullout Language

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) campaigned over the weekend in Littleton, N.H. He returned to Washington for the Senate vote on Iraq war spending, calling the bill a "recipe for defeat that the Democrats are trying to foist off on the American people." (By Lee Marriner -- Associated Press)

War critics are considering other Senate amendments, including a joint effort by Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and James Webb (D-Va.) aimed at setting conditions for future troop deployments.

"We have clearly a situation where the president has lost the confidence of the American people in his war effort," Hagel said Sunday on the ABC show "This Week." With the war now in its fifth year, he said, "it is now time . . . for the Congress to step forward and be part of setting some boundaries and some conditions as to our involvement."

In the House, Republicans were able to stay unified last week, largely because they believed they had kept the focus on the troops, not on the president. Just two Republicans, Reps. Wayne T. Gilchrest (Md.) and Walter B. Jones (N.C.), voted for the Democrats' $124 billion war spending bill, which sets a firm deadline of Aug. 31, 2008, for the removal of combat troops.

But one House lawmaker with close ties to GOP leaders said the outcome would have been considerably different if Republicans thought that they were simply defending the administration.

"We have toed the line enough for the president, and we have gotten no thanks or gratitude. By and large, Republicans are sick of defending an ungrateful president," the Republican House member said.

Sensing that frustration, Bush invited all House Republicans to come to the White House on Thursday. A House GOP leadership aide said the president hopes to thank Republicans for opposing the Iraq spending bill and to deliver a pep talk before members head to their districts for a two-week spring recess.

But that resolve may not hold. Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.), who will be one of his party's negotiators as House and Senate appropriators sit down to hash out a compromise spending bill, suggested that a final version could include language similar to the Senate's version setting goals for withdrawal without strict time limits.

What Republicans do not want is a presidential veto, Wamp said. That political showdown could harm the standing of both parties while dealing a real blow to the war effort.

"This is a time when we need to find a way to come together through this conference committee and find a way where the country can unite again," Wamp said. "We need to respect each other's opinions, and we need to avoid a presidential veto."

Staff writers Peter Baker and Michael D. Shear contributed to this report.