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Bush to Dems: War Debate Welcome NewsMax.com Wires WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia - President Bush, speaking to House of Representatives Democrats he has battled for six years, said on Saturday he welcomed a vigorous debate on his plan to increase U.S. combat troops in Iraq and he did not question the patriotism of critics. The remarks were in contrast to last summer, when Democrats began calling for a partial withdrawal from Iraq and many Republicans accused them of a "cut and run" strategy. Bush also said he agreed with Democrats that the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki "is going to have to show strong leadership." Bush met at the White House this week with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, about her trip to Iraq where she met with Maliki. Bush said Pelosi told him, "'You've got to make it loud and clear to the Iraqi people that their government has got to perform."' "And I understand that. I agree Madame Speaker," Bush said. He said the Iraq government was expected to meet certain goals including securing Baghdad, passing a law to distribute oil revenues and amending the constitution. Story Continues Below
"In other words, there are benchmarks that they have got to achieve, and I have made it clear to the Iraqi government, just like I have made it clear to the American people, our commitment is not open-ended," Bush said.
Bush spoke as the Senate prepared to start debate next week on a nonbinding resolution opposing his plan to add 21,500 U.S. combat troops in Iraq in what some see as a last-ditch effort to end sectarian violence bordering on civil war there. "I welcome debate at a time of war and I hope you know that," Bush told House Democrats. "Nor do I consider a belief that if you don't happen to agree with me you don't share the same sense of patriotism I do. You can get that thought out of your mind if that's what some believe." Stressing bipartisanship throughout a speech that focused mainly on domestic priorities, Bush also made light of a quip during his State of the Union address last month, in which he referred to the "Democrat" party instead of the "Democratic" party. Some Democrats viewed it as an intended slight meant to imply the party was not democratic. "Now look, my diction isn't all that good. I have been accused of occasionally mangling the English language. And so I appreciate you inviting the head of the 'Republic' party," Bush said to laughter. Following his speech, Bush took a handful of questions from Democrats in a brief session closed to reporters. The Iraq war was expected to be a main topic. This was the first time Bush was invited to the House Democrats' retreat since 2001, at the start of his presidency. Before leaving the retreat, Bush was scheduled to make a joint statement to reporters with Pelosi, a critic of his policies. "The war, the war, the war," Pelosi said on Friday when asked what rank-and-file Democrats had on their minds at the retreat. In his first six years, Bush was able to mostly ignore Democrats, who were the minority party in the U.S. Congress. That changed after elections in November that gave Democrats control of both the House and Senate. With his national popularity sagging and Democrats eyeing a takeover of the White House in the 2008 election, Bush recently has been talking up the possibility of bipartisanship, using it as a theme of his State of the Union speech last month. Having easily passed their initial agenda last month, including an increase in the minimum wage and ethics reforms, House Democrats think Bush is beginning to inch toward them on their next round of priorities, including addressing global warming, income inequality and education.
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