Reid Reaches Out to GOP Defectors to Vote for Change in Iraq

July 9, 2007 — -- Buoyed by the defections of senior Senate Republicans from the president's war strategy, Majority Leader Harry Reid today reached out to his colleagues across the aisle to put votes behind their rhetoric and change course on Iraq.

Setting the staging for the upcoming debate on the annual defense authorization bill before the Senate, Reid said, "I think we will find out in the next couple of weeks whether the Republicans who have said publicly they think the present course should change are willing to vote with us."

Reid was referring, of course, to the change of stance of GOP Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and George Voinovich, R-Ohio, all once supporters of the president's Iraq policy who have recently called for a change of course.

"We invite them to come with us. We put our arms around them. We do not push them away. We believe that there's sentiment in this country as evidenced by Republicans like Domenici speaking out loud saying that the policy should change," Reid said. "They will have many opportunities in the next couple of weeks to vote for that change."

Congressional Democrats, led by Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will continue to push for an Iraq exit strategy, and they plan on using the next two weeks to force votes on the issue that won them the 2006 midterm election.

Though Republicans like Lugar and Domenici, while outspoken in their critique of the president's Iraq strategy, haven't indicated that they'll necessarily vote with the Democrats, Reid argued that Republican defections appear to be leading the White House to consider changing its mission in Iraq.

"A growing number of Republicans are now speaking against the failed strategy in Iraq, and that's good. And these Republican defections are apparently leading the White House to consider changing its mission. That's good."

Reid called on his Senate colleagues to seize the opportunity to change course in Iraq.

"The question is whether President Bush and the Senate Republicans will join in that effort. I hope they do. The American people expect this change, and they expect it now. For those Senate Republicans who are saying the right things on Iraq, they must put their words into action by voting with us to change course and responsibly end this war."