Memorial Day, Iraq policy, etc

Rep and Dems forecast change in Bush Iraq policy

WASHINGTON - Republican and Democratic congressional leaders both forecast a change in President Bush's Iraq war policy as the president prepared to sign legislation Friday providing funds for military operations through Sept. 30.

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

At a separate news conference, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell predicted a change, and said Bush would show the way.

"I think the handwriting is on the wall that we are going in a different direction in the fall and I think the president is going to lead it," he said.

McConnell said he expects Bush announce his intentions on his own timetable.

The legislation that cleared Congress late Thursday night marked the end of a struggle in which Bush rejected an earlier bill because it contained a troop withdrawal timetable.

The White House said it expected to receive the replacement measure Friday afternoon and that Bush would sign it — privately, with no fanfare other than a written announcement — as soon as it arrived from Capitol Hill.

"This effort shows what can happen when people work together," Bush said after a visit to wounded troops at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. "We've got a good bill that didn't have timetables or tell the military how to do its job, but also sent a clear signal to the Iraqis that there's expectations here in America ... about how to move forward."

McConnell also emphasized that the Iraqis need to make progress. "We've given the Iraqi government an opportunity here to have a normal country. And so far, they've been a great disappointment to members of the Senate on both sides," he said.

Democrats say the drive to bring U.S. troops home is far from over.

"We're going to keep coming back and coming back," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the Democratic caucus.

"I fully support our troops" but the measure "fails to compel the president to give our troops a new strategy in Iraq," said Clinton, D-N.Y.

"Enough is enough," Obama, an Illinois senator, declared, adding that Bush should not get "a blank check to continue down this same, disastrous path."

Thoughts on Memorial Day.