Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond, Missouri. Senator Bond, who is not up for re-election in 2008 had this to say:
As the Senate opened a new debate on the conflict, one of the president's staunchest supporters bluntly said the administration had pursued the wrong policy for years after toppling Saddam Hussein from power. ``The strategy we had before was not the right strategy,'' said Christopher Bond, R-Mo. ``We should have had a counterinsurgency strategy.''Asked later who bore responsibility for the error, Bond said, ``Ultimately, obviously the president.''
The Democrats are moving forward (same link):
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said that since Bush ordered thousands more troops to Iraq last winter, ``We've lost more than 600 troops, costing the American taxpayers more than $60 billion. The escalation has done nothing to bring the Iraqi government together. It's done absolutely nothing to lessen the violence in Iraq.''Two Democrats, Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, back legislation to require a troop withdrawal to begin within 120 days, to be completed by the end of April 2008.
A vote is expected next week, and Reid said nearly all Democrats support the proposal. Republican Gordon Smith of Oregon is a supporter, as well, and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, told reporters during the day she may switch her position and vote for it, too.
