GOP Leader Losing Patience With Iraqi Government

By Dan Balz and Chris Cillizza
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, May 9, 2007 6:32 PM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) condemned the Iraqi government for its failure to resolve security and political problems more expeditiously and predicted that, unless the current troop surge succeeds, U.S. policy will be changed by year's end either by President Bush or congressional action.

McConnell, in an interview for washingtonpost.com's PostTalk program today, offered a harsh assessment of the Iraqi government's performance and made clear that neither the American people nor elected officials have unlimited patience for the U.S. commitment there.

"The Iraqi government hasn't done anything it said it would," McConnell said, pointing to lack of progress on oil revenue sharing and reducing sectarian violence. He added, "I don't think there are many Republican senators who are happy with what happened."

The Republican leader said the GOP's poor performance in the 2006 midterms elections resulted almost entirely from public dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in Iraq and implied that his party would suffer again in 2008 if that election becomes another referendum on Iraq.

"I think the Democrats would like to have another election on Iraq and Republicans would like to avoid it," he said.

The interview, in McConnell's Capitol offices, came hours after he met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten to discuss possible compromises on an Iraq funding bill.

Bush vetoed the first version of the bill because it included a timetable for beginning a troop withdrawal and White House Press Secretary Tony Snow warned today that the president will veto a new House Democratic bill that would provide the requested funding in two stages.

McConnell said he remained optimistic that the funding bill can be approved by the end of the month but offered few details of a potentially workable compromise, other than to say that some kind of benchmarks for the Iraqi government remain part of the discussion. The White House opposes punitive benchmarks and McConnell predicted Bush ultimately will get the funding he wants for the war in the form he wants.

The funding fight, however, is not likely to end the debate over Iraq, he said, noting there are a number of bipartisan discussions underway on Capitol Hill that could result in policy changes. Unless the surge proves effective, he said, "I think there will be a different strategy soon in Iraq."

Recent polls show that a majority of Americans oppose Bush's veto of the funding bill and favor either a timetable for withdrawal or tough benchmarks for the Iraqi government. Asked why the president continues to lose the battle for public opinion on his policy, McConnell pointed to the continuing violence in Iraq.

"I think the American people look at it and don't see success . . . What they see are daily car bombings and chaos," he said.

McConnell acknowledge that many GOP voters are dissatisfied with their 2008 field of presidential candidates. "They're waiting for Ronald Reagan," he quipped.

He went on to praise the credentials of the three frontrunners, including his occasional nemesis John McCain (R-Ariz.). McConnell said while he and McCain disagreed pointedly about campaign finance reform, he considered the Arizona senator a friend.

As for candidates like former Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.) and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) who continue to consider national bids, McConnell said time is running out due to the sheer logistical challenge of raising $100 million and building the organizations in early states necessary to compete with McCain, former Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Asked how long Thompson and Gingrich can wait before getting into the race, he said "not very long."

McConnell acknowledged that the makeup of the 2008 Senate playing field -- 21 Republicans are up for re-election compared to just 12 Democrats -- makes regaining the majority an extremely difficult proposition. "Realistically, to get the Senate back we would have to have a heck of a day," he said.

Even so, he insisted that the power of incumbency should assert itself in a "normal" political cycle and expressed confidence in the chances of Sens. Gordon Smith (Ore.), John Sununu (N.H.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Norm Coleman (Minn.) -- all of whom will be running in states carried by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004.

McConnell took issue with former Wisconsin governor and current presidential candidate Tommy Thompson, who said Republicans came to power to change Washington but instead saw Washington change the party. McConnell said Republicans achieved major successes while in power in Congress and in workling with the Bush White House.

Asked why the party still suffers from erosion in support, he said, "The war is an albatross around the president's neck."

But he predicted that the political environment will change significantly between now and November 2008 and that Iraq will not be the only issue on the minds of voters at that time.

McConnell said he believes the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are already making major mistakes -- specifically mentioning a proposal to eliminate secret ballots in union elections that he said is widely unpopular with the public -- that will accrue to his party's benefit in 2008.

Noting that in past years, divided government has produced agreements on major issues such as welfare reform and Social Security reform, he said Democrats have mostly engaged in "small ball" since taking power in January. He said he still believed there is a chance for comprehensive immigration reform in this Congress.

washingtonpost.com's Eric Pianin contributed to this report.