Biden’s For Iraq Bill

ABC News’ Jake Tapper Reports: Presidential aspirant Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., announced Wednesday that he will be voting for the Iraq spending bill.

"I am not prepared to cut off funding for our troops," he said. "I’m not going to vote to leave the troops without money."

Biden, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, added, "You can go out there and demagogue it all you want but the bottom line is you need seventeen Republican senators to (override presidential veto)."

The Senator did not comment when asked if Democrats who vote against the spending bill are being "irresponsible," comparing himself to President Lincoln, who opposed the Mexican-American War but continued to vote to send supplies to the troops south of the border.

Biden said he would continue to vote every chance he has to pressure the administration to change course in Iraq.  And the pressure, he insists, is working.

"I don’t think there are twelve Republican senators who support the president’s strategy," he said, noting that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., now supports benchmarks for the Iraqi government, and Minority Whip Trent Lott, R-Miss., has said the strategy needs to change.

"He has the loyalty of…his Republican Senate troops maybe through the summer," predicted Biden.