Newsview: Ad Backlash Rallies GOP on War

U.S soldier's from Bravo 6-9 Cav. Troop leave their temporarily base during operation Saber Hammer 3 on the outskirts of Muqdadiyah, Iraq, 90 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo) (Karel Prinsloo - AP)

WASHINGTON -- Democrats' momentum on their anti-war effort has stalled abruptly, ending weeks of hand wringing by the White House. The reason? A convincing four-star general, an activist group that overplayed their hand and a plainspoken defense secretary who doesn't bother to defend the 2003 Iraq invasion.

"I think it's better today," said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., of the war. "I think we're on a better path than we were."

While a longtime skeptic of President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq, Alexander joined his GOP colleagues in blocking each of the Democrats' three anti-war bills this week.

His vote and those of his colleagues dealt a demoralizing blow this week to Democrats, who had hoped that by September more Republicans would have broken party ranks. Republican votes are crucial to Democrats because they lack a veto-proof majority in Congress.

Above all, GOP members say they were deeply impressed by the testimony last week of Gen. David Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq.

"Gen. Petraeus' report was the most critical and decisive," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. "It was what he was able to tell us factually that ... we have a realistic chance of success."

Another factor in GOP unity, party officials say, was the advertisement in the New York Times, paid for by the liberal activist group MoveOn.org. The full-page ad _ which taunted Petraeus as "General Betray Us" and accused him of distorting the facts of the war _ served as a rallying point for Republicans.

Even with several GOP members wanting troops out faster than Petraeus recommended, the ad helped Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell drive home his point: voting to bring troops home was a vote against a popular and seasoned uniformed officer.

"Let's take sides. Gen. Petraeus or MoveOn.org. Which one are we going to believe?" asked McConnell, R-Ky., at one point during the week's debate.

Also a major factor in the White House's ability to shore up support for the war was Defense Secretary Robert Gates. He has launched an aggressive outreach campaign in recent days and found favor among Republican moderates who chafed under the sharp style of his predecessor, Donald H. Rumsfeld.

"I can just say that Gates has an even-tempered demeanor and he tends to give us the facts without a lot of adjectives," said Rep. Ric Keller, R-Fla., after leaving a meeting Wednesday between Gates and 23 House Republicans, mostly moderates concerned about the lack of progress in Iraq.

Arguably his most endearing trait to many in Congress is his refusal to debate the merits of the Iraq invasion _ something lawmakers like Chris Shays of Connecticut say they have no patience for.