Dick Lugar's 1996 presidential campaign brochure: "Everything a President Should Be, Except Me"
Posted on 12/31/2006 1:38:36 PM PST by freedomdefender
Two prominent Senate Republicans bucked the White House on Sunday, expressing skepticism about more U.S. troops in Iraq and support for greater dialogue with Iran, Syria and others in the region.
Sen. Richard Lugar, the outgoing chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged the president to consult with lawmakers before announcing a new strategy on Iraq that could call for additional troops in Iraq.
If Bush were to act with without involving the new Democratic-controlled Congress, he can anticipate "a lot of hearings, a lot of study, a lot of criticism," Lugar said.
Bush is expected to deliver his Iraq policy speech - laying out his plan to improve security, assist the Iraqis in reaching a political reconciliation between warring sects and help with reconstruction - before his State of the Union address on Jan. 23.
Sen. Arlen Specter, just back from a trip to the region, also questioned the wisdom of sending in more troops, saying he has not seen an administration plan that would justify it. "If there is a road map to victory, then I would be prepared to listen to what the president has to say about more troops," he said.
The Pennsylvania Republican described the situation in the Mideast as the most serious he has seen in his 26 years in the Senate.
Specter expressed support for the Iraq Study Group's recommendations that the U.S. engage Syria, Iran and others in negotiations on Iraq's future.
Lugar suggested his committee, which Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., will lead beginning in January, hold a "retreat" to discuss Iraq, even before Bush's expected upcoming address to the nation.
Lugar said the U.S. should not rule out conversations with Iran and Syria, as well as Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, regarding the instability in the region.
The Indiana senator appeared frustrated that the president has not done more to consult Congress on Iraq policy.
"In the past, the administration has been inclined not to disregard Congress, but to not take Congress very seriously," he said.
When asked whether he would support Bush's plan for a "surge" of more troops into the country, Lugar said "I don't know whether I do or not."
He said the U.S. should have a clear policy on what those troops are required to do. "The administration needs to identify precisely where the battle lines are - who is it we combat. I haven't seen such lines," Lugar said.
Lugar also questioned whether a move to train Iraqis might "lead to Iraqis who are better prepared for civil war against each other."
He said if Bush reaches out to Congress about his plans, hearings before the committee could become "well-informed, sophisticated situations" rather than a "lynching party."
In a partisan flip, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democrat turned independent, said he supports an expected recommendation by the White House for more troops in Iraq and argued against dialogue with Syria.
When asked if he could support sending another "20,000 to 30,000" troops, Lieberman said, "I can and I hope it's exactly what President Bush does."
Specter recently visited Syria and spoke with President Bashar Assad, despite admonitions from the White House against the trip.
Specter said Assad told him that he was "prepared to work with the United States on tightening the border to impede insurgents" and also that Syria would be willing to host an "international conference" in an attempt to bring peace to the region.
"I respect what the administration is doing, but there are others of us who have been in the region who have studied it intently and have some useful suggestions to make," Specter said.
Lieberman accused Syria of allowing al-Qaida to cross its borders and kill American troops and of having a hand in recent assassinations in Lebanon.
Meantime, two Democratic presidential hopefuls affirmed their opposition to additional U.S. troops in Iraq.
Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said the U.S. should not make a "big mistake even bigger by suggesting a surge of troops in some way, shape or form is going to make Iraq safer or better."
Former North Carolina senator John Edwards, described the troop-increase idea as the "McCain doctrine" - after a chief advocate, Sen. John McCain - and said he believes the Arizona Republican is "dead wrong."
Lugar and Vilsack were on "Fox News Sunday," Edwards appeared on ABC's "This Week" while Lieberman and Specter spoke on "Late Edition" on CNN.
They can gather round a campfire and sing "Michael Row the Boat Ashore"
Nice of him to describe a congressional meeting with Bush about supporting our troops as a "lynching" unless the President obeys him.
What great conservatives and Republicans we have to support our President.
He can anticipate that no matter what he does, Dick.
The Congress In Chief. The Congress In Chief? Still don't sound right.
Who in his right mind would take you pompous twits seriously?
Congress doesn't make foreign policy the CIC does. They need to remember that. They are trying to take Bush's power away. Why don't they put their country first?
They are abandoning the Bush ship like a pack of Rats,but they really havent done anything to help the President for the last 6 years so thats no surprise.
***he can anticipate "a lot of hearings, a lot of study, a lot of criticism," Lugar said.***
LOL he will get plenty of that anyway.
How come we call Allen Sphincter a Republican anyway,can anyone tell me that? he is about as Republican as ted Kennedy.
History has not been too kind with war by committee. Even a committee of two is a receipe for disaster, can you imagine a Committee of 100, pompous blowhards every one?
How come we call Lugar a conservative.
This guy is one of my Senators, and I will do all I can to defeat him in the next primary.
He is on the wrong side of EVERYTHING.
Dick Lugar's 1996 presidential campaign brochure: "Everything a President Should Be, Except Me"
Way to go, Breck Girl -- anyone who has a 'Doctrine' named after them has either been, or become President of the United States.
dick head lugar!!!
These clowns love to talk, but they are really cowards. When asked about what they would do in Iraq, they are mute or spew nonsensical platitudes designed to obfuscate any responsibility for what they do or say, so they pass the buck to someone else; they want Bush to come up with a plan so if it succeeds or fails, its his ass on the line and not theirs. That's the real courage of weak-minded morons with delusions of grandeur.
ITEM: Denver Post | December 7, 2006---"[Specter has]signaled this week that he'll join prominent Democrats in seeking to restore legal rights to hundreds of suspected terrorists confined at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and elsewhere."
ITEM: DallasBlog.com | 04/19/2006 | Tom Pauken---"Influential Republican senator Richard Lugar has urged the Bush administration to change its Iran strategy, saying the US must talk directly to Tehran about its nuclear ambitions instead of pushing for economic sanctions."
It's because of brain stems like Lugar, that the the Republicans are now the minority party, and will continue to be for quite awhile. P.S. A "Happy" and "Healthy" New Year to all!
No, FDR did not; and if you read Master of Sea Power, the then CNO / CINC of both LANTFLEET, and PACFLEET had to keep the democrat curbed to stop Roosevelt from selling the farm - which he did with Social Security.
Lugar is a fine example of an "empty suit" and one of the examples we are now in the minority.
While I strongly oppose President Bush getting weak and caving to the Democrats, I really think that the whole approach in Iraq needs a serious re-think. I must say I'm honestly not sure what should be done, but it's clear that the status quo isn't working, and we lost control of Congress largely because of this ugly war.
He is my senator too and he is anothe reason for term limits.......
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