White House: Iraq Funding Compromise Is Possible
It turns out that the meeting last week between President Bush and congressional leaders to discuss Iraq went better than some media accounts described. True, the Democrats sharply voiced their objections to Bush's Iraq policy and the president defended his "surge" of U.S. troops.
But administration insiders say there were no angry moments or emotional outbursts.
"The meeting itself was very productive–and respectful," a White House official told U.S. News. "Everyone talked clearly and passionately about their views." Afterward, Bush and his advisers agreed it was helpful that everyone understood "where people were coming from and where they were interested in going" on Iraq.
And contrary to some news reports, there may have been more ground for compromise than the skeptics thought. Bush won't accept any legislation that tries to dictate tactics to military commanders, which means he will veto the evolving compromise bill that provides for Iraq war funding but also includes a timetable for withdrawal. The White House official called that "a surrender date."
But what about legislation that sets nonbinding "objectives and goals" for deciding when U.S. troops should leave? The official declined to tip the president's hand but said Bush in the end will accept legislation to fund the Iraq war as long as it doesn't tie the hands of the commanders in the field. That concept, he says, could leave more of an opening for compromise than many people think.