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Iraq tests Boehner’s leadership |
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By Jackie Kucinich and Mike Soraghan
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Posted: 07/11/07 07:41 PM [ET] |
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) faces a crucial leadership test this month in managing his increasingly frustrated GOP colleagues on the Iraq war while pressing the White House’s case that U.S. forces need more time to complete their mission.
In recent weeks, Senate Republican members have attracted headlines by indicating their concerns with what they see as a clear lack of progress in Iraq. Many on Capitol Hill believe that House GOP members will follow suit this month.
House Republicans have been more united than their Senate counterparts on Iraq.
Only two House GOP members, Reps. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.), broke with the president and House GOP leaders by voting for Democratic spending measures this spring that included timetables for troop withdrawals.
Democrats believe, however, that more defections are coming.
In a statement yesterday, the House Democratic Caucus said, “With reports showing an absence of progress on the ground in Iraq and political pressure mounting at home, can House Republicans continue to side with an unpopular president and support the status quo?”
How Boehner handles the anticipated cracking of unity on Iraq could be a defining moment in his stewardship of the Republican Conference.
While Boehner did recently break with President Bush on immigration reform, the minority leader is seen as one of Bush’s strongest allies on the Iraq war.
Over the last six months in the minority, Boehner has urged his members to withhold their judgment of progress in Iraq until September, when General David Petraeus will deliver a report to the Congress on the impact of the so-called “surge” of 20,000 additional troops into the most troubled regions.
“It’s important to remember that the Baghdad Security Plan did not reach its full strength — both in terms of personnel and operational capabilities — until two weeks ago,” said Boehner spokesman Brian Kennedy.
Kennedy added, “We have given General Petraeus the resources to implement his strategy, and we have consistently said we will await his full report in September.”
Yet, the Republican Conference has been increasly fractious on the Iraq issue. In February, 17 members voted with Democrats to disapprove of the troop increase. Three months later, 11 centrist Republicans went to the White House to warn Bush that conditions needed to improve markedly by fall or more Republicans would desert him on the war.
Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.), who voted against the surge, yesterday expressed major reservations about the situation in Iraq.
“The people I have talked to over the summer break have made very clear that they want limits on our engagement in Iraq, that they want an honorable pathway out of Iraq and that they are exhausted with the expenditure of lives and resources into something that is no longer as clearly engaged in the war on terror,” he said.
English, whose seat is being targeted by Democrats this cycle, said he will not make more definitive judgments on Iraq until a scheduled meeting with National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley.
The 7th-term lawmaker indicated that recent comments made by Sens. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio) criticizing the plan in Iraq, sparked conversations among their like-minded House colleagues.
“Many of us agree with the comments of Senator Lugar and Senator Voinovich and feel the administration needs to correct its course and change its emphasis,” English said.
Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), who attended the candid meeting with Bush in May, said he is withholding judgment on the surge and Bush’s Iraq policy until September.
“I want to be thought of as a thoughtful member of Congress who considers everything before he would change his mind,” LaHood said. “I don’t want to anticipate good or bad news.”
But he said he has taken note of news accounts saying Iraq has failed to meet many key benchmarks.
The Associated Press reported that the first report required by this year’s Iraq supplemental spending measure will conclude that the U.S.-backed government in Baghdad has not met any of its targets for political, economic and other reforms.
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow spent yesterday making the case that the report was a way to begin measuring progress — “a look at the starting line” — rather than a reason to change course.
Petraeus told the BBC this week that fighting the insurgency is a “long term endeavor” that could take decades.
Meanwhile, Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) sought to clarify yesterday that he was not breaking with Bush on the war last week when he said at a town hall meeting that the war is a “quagmire” and U.S. troops should be pulled back from the front lines “as soon as possible.”
“Congressman Doolittle wants to see the Iraqi government become responsible for [the] country more quickly,” said a statement sent by Doolittle communications director Gordon J. Hinkle. “This situation is not a matter of being at odds with the president. In fact, Congressman Doolittle is sure the president would like to see the same result.”
The statement said Doolittle believes Bush’s “surge” is working, but will not make a decision “on the future of U.S. forces in Iraq” until September.
When the initial Democratic strategy on Iraq began taking shape in May, the idea was to force a series of progressively tougher votes, Democratic aides said. But as Democratic leaders prepare to put the plan into action, they are seeking to coordinate more with the Senate to stress party unity.
For example, the House might hold off on Iraq votes this week if the Senate plans a vote on legislation by Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.). Democratic leaders were expected to meet last night to consider the timing of Iraq measures.
Democrats were emboldened by a USA Today/Gallup poll released yesterday showing that opposition to the Iraq war has reached a record high while Bush’s approval rating has hit a record low. In the survey, taken Friday through Sunday, more than seven in 10 favored moving nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by April.
But 55 percent said Congress should wait until September to act on Iraq; 40 percent say Congress should act now.
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