Wonder what this will do to Clark's numbers in the Kos straw polls...
From today's Roll Call (subscription-only):
After hearing a presentation from retired Gen. Wesley Clark on Tuesday night, a bloc of House Democrats who have been calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq admitted Clark's comments are prompting them to take a new look at the issue.
Clark met privately with the members of the Out of Iraq Caucus to give them his perspective on the ongoing conflict and offer advice on how Democrats should frame their arguments for bringing troops home. His call: Avoid specific timelines for withdrawal and focus instead on calling for and developing strategies for success that rely not on the military, but on diplomacy.
From Roll Call (subscription-only):
After hearing a presentation from retired Gen. Wesley Clark on Tuesday night, a bloc of House Democrats who have been calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq admitted Clark's comments are prompting them to take a new look at the issue.
Clark met privately with the members of the Out of Iraq Caucus to give them his perspective on the ongoing conflict and offer advice on how Democrats should frame their arguments for bringing troops home. His call: Avoid specific timelines for withdrawal and focus instead on calling for and developing strategies for success that rely not on the military, but on diplomacy.
... 59 Members have signed onto a bill calling for President Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq by October 2006. Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and Walter Jones Jr.(R-N.C.) are the original co-sponsors of the measure.
(Rep. Maxine) Waters (D-Calif.) said that while some in the caucus want an immediate withdrawal, the Out of Iraq effort is inclined to follow the lead of Clark and present a plan relying heavily on diplomatic means for concluding the engagement.
... Waters added that Clark made clear to Members that leaving now would only encourage terrorism in the region and lead to civil unrest in the country.