Facing heat from the left, Murtha mulls changes to his latest Iraq-related proposal

[babylonsister]

Facing heat from the left, Murtha mulls changes to his latest Iraq-related proposal
By Mike Soraghan
July 31, 2007


Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) is mulling changes to his latest Iraq withdrawal proposal amid furious complaints from anti-war legislators that he is backsliding on the war.

The chairman of the Appropriations defense subcommittee, Murtha is to meet Tuesday with Reps. Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters and Lynn Woolsey, the three California Democrats who lead the Out-of-Iraq caucus and call themselves the “triad.” Last week, all three panned Murtha’s bill, which would order withdrawal from Iraq to begin in 60 days, because it would not set an exact deadline for combat troops to be out.

“This whole thing is a work in progress,” Murtha spokesman Matt Mazonkey said Monday. “Congressman Murtha is in discussion with leadership and members.”

Coming in a flurry of Iraq and defense-related votes, the disagreement reflects an intensifying debate among Democrats about how to proceed on Iraq: whether to compromise on proposals that might succeed in pressuring Bush to withdraw troops, or insist on votes that force Republican lawmakers to take heat from constituents weary of the unpopular war.

“There’s a fight within the caucus on whether you cede ground to bring Republicans on board,” said a Democratic aide. “If you do that in a way that’s substantive, you’re going to lose a lot of progressives.”

Meanwhile, Republicans are starting a counter-offensive, accusing Democrats of ignoring progress that Bush’s “surge” has made on the ground in Baghdad. They cite the comments of a pair of Brookings Institution experts who say they found notable improvements in morale, Iraqi readiness and security.

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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/facing-heat-from-the-left-murtha-mulls-changes-to-his-latest-iraq-related-proposal-2007-07-31.html

[rodeodance]

1. ha a -------good luck to the 3 gals with will chat with the big boy!