WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush will not support a war spending bill that punishes the Iraqi government for failing to meet benchmarks for progress, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday.

Rice’s comments cast fresh doubt on a potential compromise between the Democratic-led Congress and the White House in getting money to U.S. troops.

Didn’t Mr. Bush and the Sec/Def both tell us, as well as Iraq and the entire world, that the U.S. commitment to Iraq is NOT open ended?? I seem to distinctly remember him saying that the Iraqis must show progress of their own if they want us to stay… Yes, they did, I had to refresh my memory as to when and where but it was fairly recent as indicated Here , Here and Here

He said disagreeing with him over the war — as many in the room do — does not mean “you don’t share the same sense of patriotism I do.”

“You can get that thought out of your mind, if that’s what some believe,” the president said. “These are tough times, but there’s no doubt in my mind that you want to secure this homeland as much as I do.”

Uh, Mr. President, I, as well as most Conservative already know that, but could you do us a favor?? Pass that on to a certain group that we refer to as ‘Bush Bots’?? Especially one Army wife in particular?? She really believes that anyone that disagrees with you is the Devil incarnate, she told me my Teddy Roosevelt quote at the top of my blog was an effort to twist things to MY way, I mean, you know better, and so do most people, but could ya drop her and her 3 or 4 buddies a note and tell em it’s OK and they don’t have to use covert means to try and destroy someones blog?? Please?? Just askin’…

“I listened to many members here, I listened to members of my own party, I listened to the military and came up with a plan that I genuinely believe has the best of succeeding,” the president said.

‘And after listening to all those people I decided to do it MY way, since I’m the decider and all, and since there’s not a damn thing any of y’all can do, I’m a ‘lame duck’, what are you gonna do, not re-elect me?’ would likely be a lot closer to what the real thought process was…

What this all boils down to is partisan politics, and it’s being used to play with the lives of American troops, and that’s not right, no matter who is doing it…

Full Story Here:
Rice: Bush Would Oppose Iraq Benchmarks