Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke out Sunday against efforts in Congress to limit the role of U.S. forces in Iraq, saying President Bush would not allow himself to be constrained by such a "micromanagement of military affairs."
Asked whether Bush would abide by a binding resolution, now being drafted by Democratic leaders, that would include the start of troop withdrawal from Iraq, Rice told "Fox News Sunday" that such a proposal would go against his efforts to support the "flexibility of our commanders to do what they think they need to do on the ground."
"I can’t imagine a circumstance in which it’s a good thing that their flexibility is constrained by people sitting here in Washington, sitting in the Congress, trying to micromanage this war," Rice said. "I just don’t think it’s a good thing."
Says Kangro X of dailyKOS:
Of course, Democrats pushed back to some extent, too:
But Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said lawmakers would step up efforts to force Bush to change course. "The president needs a check and a balance," said Levin, D-Mich. I agree. He needs a check and balance. And while I applaud Levin’s efforts, I do so only because I know they kick the can further down the road we all know we’re bound to travel here. Senator Levin says the president needs a check and balance, but I don’t think he’s hearing Secretary Rice. The president will defy your legislation.
The president will defy your legislation.
Now, that doesn’t mean this isn’t something Levin and his colleagues aren’t going to want to see for themselves. But time’s a-wastin’. Let’s get this show on the road, already. We know what’s going to happen, and we know what your choices are going to be at the end of the road: roll over, or impeach.
How do we know? Well, Rice says so. On what basis? Well, to the extent that she needs a basis for a statement like that, she’s probably pointing to the fact that this "administration" believes Congress is literally powerless to stop the war.
Says 1boringoldman, "Bring it on! The sooner the better"…
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