U.S. Democrats on Thursday lashed out at U.S. President George W. Bush's speech on Iraq, calling for "changing the course" in Iraq.
Senator Jack Reed, who delivered the Democratic Party's response to Bush's speech, rejected Bush's plan of partially pulling back some 27,000 troops from Iraq, saying the president once again "failed to provide either a plan to successfully end the war or a convincing rationale to continue it."
"The president rightfully invoked the valor of our troops in his speech, but his plan does not amount to real change," he said.
"Do we continue to heed the president's call that all Iraq needs is more time, more money, and the indefinite presence of 130,000 American troops -- the same number as nine months ago? Or do we follow what is in our nation's best interest and redefine our mission in Iraq?" Reed asked.
"Democrats believe it is a time to change course," he said.
Reed said Democrats will suggest the U.S. military should focus on counter-terrorism and training the Iraqi army.
"An endless and unlimited military presence in Iraq is not an option," he added.
Democratic presidential candidate, former senator John Edwards bought two minutes of air time on MSNBC to air after Bush's televised address.
"Unfortunately, the president is pressing on with the only strategy he's ever had more time, more troops, and more war," Edwards said.
"When the president asks for more money and more time, Congress needs to tell him he only gets one choice: a firm timeline for withdrawal. No timeline, no funding. No excuses," he added, concluding "it is time to end this war."
"Moving us in 10 months to where we were 10 months ago is not progress. It is the very definition of status quo. Not only is the President not offering us anything new; he's insulting our intelligence," said Senator Chris Dodd, D-Conn., who is also a 2008 presidential candidate.
Another 2008 presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill said, "after an additional 30,000 troops and enormous sacrifice, we are back to where we were in June 2006. We have not made progress politically."
"The American people long ago lost faith in the president's leadership of the war in Iraq because his rhetoric has never matched the reality on the ground," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
"The choice is between a Democratic plan for responsible redeployment and the president's plan for an endless war in Iraq," she said.
DEMOCRATS TO FIGHT BACK
Even before Bush's speech, Democrats had already discussed options to fight back.
According to Democratic Party sources, their new strategy is not to set a deadline to end the war, but restrict troops to narrow objectives: training Iraq's military and police, protecting U.S. assets and fighting terrorists.
The goal is to attract enough Republicans to break the 60-vote threshold in the Senate needed to end a filibuster.
Democrats have been unable to do that since taking control of Congress eight months ago.
"I call on the Senate Republicans to not walk lockstep as they have with the president for years in this war," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said at a news conference Wednesday.
Reid said Democrats would offer four to six amendments "to change the course of the war" when the Senate takes up a defense bill next week.
One would require that troops spend as much time home as they do in combat.
Source: Xinhua
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