GOP attacks Dem leaders on terror

House Republicans yesterday jumped on remarks made last week by Democratic congressional leaders regarding the war on terrorism.

The attack came one week after Republican Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.) introduced a bill requiring Congress to determine a timeline for the pullout from Iraq.

During a weeklong series of one-minute floor statements, Republicans are expected to criticize comments made by Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) about the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, which he compared to that meted out by the Nazis and in the Soviet gulags, and other remarks made Thursday by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) about the war in Iraq.

“Leader Pelosi and the Democratic leadership should support our troops instead of spreading inflammatory statements,” House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said yesterday in statement put out by his office.

Pelosi questioned the success of the overall war effort during debate about the Defense Appropriations bill.

The Republican Conference office, led by the staff for Chairwoman Deborah Pryce (Ohio) and Vice Chairman Jack Kingston (Ga.), will coordinate the one-minute messages throughout the week.  In addition, Republican Reps. Mike Conaway (Texas), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Tom Price (Ga.) and Joe Wilson (S.C.) held an afternoon press conference to condemn the remarks.

In an email, Pelosi’s spokeswoman Jennifer Crider said, “It is absolutely absurd for Republicans to question Democrats strong support for our troops — it’s a disservice to the honorable men and women bravely serving in Iraq.”

Patrick O’Connor