Democrats Send Iraq Timeline to Bush
    By Anne Flaherty and Jennifer Loven
    The Associated Press

    Tuesday 01 May 2007

    Washington - Defying veto threats, Democratic congressional leaders on Tuesday sent President Bush legislation setting timetables for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq on the fourth anniversary of his "Mission Accomplished" speech on the war.

    "The president has put our troops in the middle of a civil war. A change of course is needed," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

    Bush, meeting in Florida with military commanders, said such an approach could turn Iraq into a "cauldron of chaos."

    The White House said the president would veto the bill on his return to the White House and then go before television cameras at 6:10 p.m. EDT, just before the evening news shows, to make a statement.

    "Success in Iraq is critical to the security of free people everywhere," Bush said at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., the headquarters of U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, including Iraq.

    The Democratic leaders staged a special ceremony to send the legislation - already approved by both the House and Senate - on its way to the White House.

    On Wednesday, Bush is to meet at the White House with congressional leaders from both parties, including Reid, D-Nev., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to begin discussing follow-up spending legislation.

    "This legislation honors the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform," Pelosi said at the ceremony in the Capitol. She said that provisions of the measure respect "the wishes of the American people to end the Iraq war."

    Said Reid: "After more than four years of a failed policy, it's time for Iraq to take responsibility for its own future. Today, right now, we renew our call to President Bush: There is still time to listen. There is still time to sign this bill and change course in Iraq."

    Without enough votes to override Bush's veto, Democrats are considering writing a new bill that would fund the troops but not give the president a blank check. A likely option is demanding the Iraqi government meet certain benchmarks.

    Less clear is what consequences the Iraqis would face if they failed to meet the standards. Democrats want to pull out U.S. troops if the Iraqis fall behind, but such a requirement would trigger a second veto.

    Some Republicans say they would support tying benchmarks - or goals for Iraqi self-defense and democracy - to the more than $5 billion provided to Iraq in foreign aid, but would do nothing to tie the hands of military commanders.

    "House Republicans will oppose any bill that includes provisions that undermine our troops and their mission, whether it's benchmarks for failure, arbitrary readiness standards or a timetable for American surrender," said Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

    Republican Whip Roy Blunt said he thinks the rank-and-file GOP will agree. "Our members will not accept restraint on the military," said Blunt, R-Mo.