SPEECHES SHOW DEEP DIVIDE SPEECHES SHOW DEEP DIVIDE Excerpts of floor speeches given Tuesday in the Senate on Iraq: "... the terrorists are in this war to win it. The question is: Are we? Withdrawing before there is a stable and legitimate Iraqi authority would turn Iraq into a failed state and a terrorist sanctuary, in the heart of the Middle East. We have seen a failed state emerge after U.S. disengagement once before, and it cost us terribly. In pre-9/11 Afghanistan, terrorists found sanctuary to train and plan attacks with impunity. We know that today there are terrorists in Iraq who are planning attacks against Americans. We cannot make this fatal mistake twice." — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. "The question is: Do we continue to send our kids in the middle of a meat grinder, based on a policy that is fundamentally flawed? ... If we don't start bringing home combat forces within the next few months, get them out of the midst of a civil war, we will have so soured the American people on the ability to do even the things that need be done that this president and the next president will be left with absolutely no option -- absolutely no option -- but to withdraw totally from that area and let the chips fall where they may." — Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. "... the enemy is on the run, but here in Congress, in Washington, some members seem to be on the run -- chased, I fear, by public opinion polls. ... I will say to my colleagues today that this war in Iraq will never be lost by our military on the ground in Iraq. The war in Iraq can only be lost with a loss of political will here at home, and perhaps with a loss of political will in Iraq." — Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. BUSH: WAIT FOR PETRAEUS BUSH: WAIT FOR PETRAEUS President Bush on Tuesday ruled out an imminent withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq as he urged critics, including fellow Republicans, to wait at least two months before judging his war policy. Bush urged patience until Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, can "tell us whether his strategy is working." Petraeus will report to Bush and Congress in September. Bush's remarks to a civic group in Cleveland came as the Senate continued debate on Iraq policy. Ohio Sen. George Voinovich is among a handful of Republicans to recently call for a change of course in Iraq. "Congress ought to wait for Gen. Petraeus to come back and give his assessment before they make any decisions," Bush said. The president again warned of the consequences of failure in Iraq and noted the potency of insurgents: "They thrive on chaos. It enables them to more likely achieve their objectives." Another report on whether the Iraqi government is meeting political, military and economic targets is due Sunday. "You're going to find some of the benchmarks have been met and some have not," White House spokesman Tony Snow said. Petraeus' report will deal with Bush's plan that has increased U.S. troop levels in Iraq by about 28,000. Bush told the Greater Cleveland Partnership that the process of inserting extra troops was only recently finished. "They're now beginning operations in full," he said. "In Washington, you got people saying, 'Stop.' " Digg



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Facebook WASHINGTON  Four months ago, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was one of 50 senators who voted against a resolution calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by next March. On Tuesday, she said she'll vote to recommend a spring pullout — and may back a measure to mandate it. "I attended a funeral last week of a soldier killed in Iraq. We received a notification last evening of another Maine soldier being killed," Collins said. "It's extremely difficult, especially when I don't see the Iraqi government stepping up to the plate." WHITE HOUSE: Meeting meant to gain GOP senate support Moments later, she stepped away to return a phone call from the White House. It was a scene that summed up the situation here as the Senate heads toward another series of votes on Iraq policy: As Republican divisions over the war grow more apparent, furious efforts are underway by President Bush and his allies to convince lawmakers to wait until a September progress report from Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. "There's tremendous pressure to stay the course," said Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore. Smith already has made his decision: He's co-sponsoring an amendment with Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., that would require most U.S. troops to be out of Iraq next spring. Collins and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said they may vote for the withdrawal measure, which will be offered as an amendment to a defense bill. "I'm looking at it very seriously," Snowe said. Snowe said she received a phone call from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging her to wait for the Petraeus report. National security adviser Stephen Hadley was on Capitol Hill to lobby, and Vice President Cheney, who asked for more time at the Republican senators' Tuesday luncheon. Participants in the luncheon described the atmosphere as highly charged. "Rip-snorting," was the adjective Smith used. "People spoke from their hearts," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who chaired the lunch. One of the most impassioned speakers, according to Senate Republican Whip Trent Lott, R-Miss., was Sen. John McCain. The Arizona Republican, who visited Iraq last week, delivered an emotional defense of the president's policy in a floor speech. "I know that senators are tired of the war, tired of the mounting deaths," McCain said. He asked "whether Americans still have the political courage to fight for victory." Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., also spoke about his visit to Iraq last week. He and McCain agreed the military is making progress against a stubborn insurgency; both also agreed that Iraqi leaders aren't doing enough to end sectarian infighting and assume control of their own country. Even so, the two senators reached diametrically opposed conclusions about what should happen next. McCain, a former Navy fighter pilot who spent five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, came away convinced the United States needs to redouble its efforts. Reed, an Army veteran and West Point graduate, argued that a withdrawal deadline will pressure Iraqi leaders who "to date have been reluctant to make hard choices." Still uncertain: whether supporters of a troop withdrawal will have the 60 votes they need for Senate passage. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the assistant Democratic floor leader, said he's not sure of conservative Democrats such as Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska. And Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., said he doesn't believe there are enough Republicans ready to vote for a deadline. "So far, most of them are hedging their bets," Biden said of Republicans during a conference call with reporters. "They're just saying … we think the president has to change strategy. But my guess is most of them will hold off until September to actually beginning to vote with us." Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Pete Domenici, R-N.M., though outspoken critics of Bush's Iraq policy, both said Tuesday that they will not back a mandatory deadlines for troop withdrawal. "To the extent it said firmly, 'We're out of there, I wouldn't support it,' " Lugar said. A potential vehicle for Republicans who want to register disapproval with the Bush policy: a bipartisan amendment that calls for implementing the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. That measure urges, but does not require, a withdrawal of most American troops by next spring. When Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., introduced the measure Tuesday, it had a dozen co-sponsors, six Republicans and six Democrats. Salazar said he hopes there is enough support to get it "past the finish line." Democratic leaders are less optimistic because the measure lacks specific deadlines. "I'm troubled if the best we can do at the end of the day is to have a general statement on policy goals," Durbin said. Contributing: David Jackson Share this story: Digg del.icio.us Newsvine Reddit Facebook Enlarge By by Timothy J. Gonzalez, Salem Statesman Journal "There's tremendous pressure to stay the course," said Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., who is co-sponsoring an amendment to a defense bill that would require most troops to be of Iraq by next spring. Conversation guidelines: USA TODAY welcomes your thoughts, stories and information related to this article. Please stay on topic and be respectful of others. Keep the conversation appropriate for interested readers across the map.