Democrats Leery of Obama Iraq Plan

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Democrats Leery of Obama Iraq Plan

By Ben Pershing
Washington Post

Key congressional Democrats are expressing some discomfort with President Obama's plan to draw down troops in Iraq, worrying that the administration's strategy will leave too many American military personnel in the country after the "withdrawal" date of August 2010.

In an interview aired on MSNBC Wednesday night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was asked about the prospect of leaving 50,000 troops in Iraq, and she responded: "I would think a third of that, maybe 20,000, a little more than a third, 15,000 or 20,000. ... We have to see what the purpose is, how it fits the mission of our national security, and why that number is important."

Top Senate Democrats expressed similar wariness today. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said at a briefing with reporters today that the 50,000 troop number was "a little higher than I anticipated." And Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said of withdrawal, "It has to be done responsibly, we all agree, but 50,000 is more than I would have thought needed to stay, and we await the justification why that many are needed."

It may well turn out that those initial reported estimates of 50,000 troops staying in Iraq after August 2010 were way too high in the first place, or at least at the uppermost end of a range of possibilities. And congressional Democrats, happy to have a president who campaigned on ending the war, are likely to give Obama wide latitude as he makes specific personnel decisions. But Hill leaders do want to hear the president explain himself, so they'll be listening closely to his speech tomorrow and at the White House today.


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2009/02/democrats_leery_of_obama_iraq.html?hpid=topnews

[MessiahRp]

1. Good....

Hopefully 50,000 is starting at a high point to get the GOP moderates on board and that Dems can negotiate that down quite a bit during the process. There's absolutely ZERO reason to leave that many troops stationed there.

Rp

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2. that's the way I view the process

. . . they float these proposals and we weigh in.

I think the feedback makes a difference with this administration. We'll see.

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3. more

At a news briefing a few minutes ago, Senator Harry Reid, the Democratic majority leader from Nevada, indicated that he would be conveying his concerns to the president about the reported troop levels that would remain once the withdrawal deadline is met in August 2010. Mr. Reid said:

I’m going to go to the White House for a briefing on the Iraq situation this afternoon. I have been one for a long time who has called for significant cutbacks in Iraq. I’m happy to listen to the secretary of defense and the president but when they talk about 50,000, that’s a little higher number than I anticipated.

Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, added: “I want to hear what the president has to say about justifying whatever number it is that he has. I do think we have to look carefully at the number that are there and do it as quickly as we can.”

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/senate-democratic-leaders-concerned-about-obamas-iraq-plan/?hp