Editorial: GOP shifting on Iraq

Monday, July 9, 2007 | 7:12 a.m.

President Bush is hoping that Republicans in Congress will stick by him on Iraq at least until the commander there, Army Gen. David Petraeus, delivers a report on the war's progress in mid-September.

What has characterized this war, however, is the optimism that has emanated from the White House and military commanders, in contrast to what has actually been going on politically with the Iraqi government and militarily with U.S. and Iraqi forces.

A majority of Democratic members of Congress had stopped placing faith in official U.S. pronouncements on the war by at least 2005. And now Republicans are showing that they, too, are losing confidence.

Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., parted company with Bush's war on June 25, in a major speech on the Senate floor. The speech was praised by Sen. John Warner, R-Va. And amid growing restlessness in Republican ranks, Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, last month issued his own call for a new Iraq policy that would include a plan for withdrawing U.S. forces.

The latest Republican to reject the "be patient" mantra from Bush is Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico, a senator whose support Bush in the past could always take to the bank.

Domenici now endorses a plan that is consistent with last year's recommendations by the Iraq Study Group, which emphasize troop withdrawal and diplomacy - and which were largely rejected by Bush.

"I have carefully studied the Iraq situation and believe we cannot continue asking our troops to sacrifice indefinitely while the Iraqi government is not making measurable progress to move its country forward," Domenici said Thursday.

With polls showing most Americans opposed to Bush and the course of the Iraq war, such words are natural with elections on the horizon. Republicans now need to back up their words with their votes.