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Bush, Democrats Give No Ground on Iraq
Several officials said the president and congressional leaders spent considerable time on the issue, which is expected to assume a central role in war funding legislation that Congress must pass after the president vetoes the first bill.
Republicans in Congress advocate the establishment of benchmarks but without a requirement for a troop withdrawal if the Iraqis fail to meet them. Democrats tend to want to link continued U.S. participation in the war to the ability of the Iraqi government to create a fully democratic government, allocate oil resources and provide for its own security.
  Democratic Congressional leaders, from left, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Md., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calf., House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., and Senate Majority Whip Sen. Dick Durbin of Ill, talk to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 18,2007, following a meeting between President Bush and Congressional leaders. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari) (Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP) 
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Outside the White House, Republicans followed Democrats to the microphones to say there was no hope Bush would sign a bill resembling the Democrats' legislation.
House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said nothing had changed as a result of the meeting "except that people were polite, people were open, they were honest.
"The real issue ... is whether we're going to agree to a surrender date, and that's not going to happen," he said. Back in the Capitol, he said he would force a nonbinding vote within days on the troop withdrawal deadline.
Democrats said they were determined to press Bush for a change in policy.
"We came here in a spirit of hope, recognizing that this is a historic opportunity for the executive branch, the president and the Congress to work together to wind down this war and ensure the security of our country and the stability of the region," said Pelosi.
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Associated Press writer Ben Feller contributed to this report.
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