Democrats Unite on Iraq Withdrawal Demands

I found this off The Washington Post:

Twelve Democratic leaders of the House and Senate have urged President Bush in a strongly worded letter to begin withdrawing the 130,000 U.S. troops from Iraq by year's end, a sign that Democrats may be uniting on a key election-year issue that has divided the party.

"U.S. troops and taxpayers continue to pay a high price as your Administration searches for a policy" in Iraq, said the letter, signed by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), and 10 other party leaders.

"Over 2,500 Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice and over 18,000 others have been wounded," the letter said. "The Iraq war has also strained our military and constrained our ability to deal with other challenges."

Bush's "open-ended commitment" to Iraq should be abandoned, the letter asserted, in the interest of "American national security, our troops, and our taxpayers."

"We believe that a phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq should begin before the end of 2006," the letter said.

It is interesting that the Democratic leadership in Congress is finally waking up towards opposing Bush's war in Iraq. President Bush's and the Republican Party's option of "staying the course" has been a complete disaster for the U.S. The American people are clamoring for an exit strategy from Iraq. The Republicans are ignoring the American people. If the Democrats are smart, they can take this issue, define it according to their own terms, and force the debate on the Republicans according to the Democrat's rules.

That's how you win elections.

Now what are the Republicans saying about this? Well, here's what RNC chairman Ken Mehlman has to say about it:

Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman said in a statement early this evening that the Democrats' withdrawal strategy will "embolden the enemy, encourage more terrorism, and make America less secure."

Mehlman added that the Democrats' letter "underscores the critical choice facing the American people in November: In the face of jihadist attacks on civilians in Baghdad, Mumbai, and northern Israel, Democrat leaders propose to cut-and-run from the central front in the War on Terror."

Same crap from the Republican side. Of course, America is certainly not safer now after five years of war in Iraq.

Hat tip to Americablog.