Legislators report growing unease over Iraq

WASHINGTON – Lawmakers returning from their spring break say their constituents are increasingly concerned about what they see as a lack of progress toward stability in Iraq and want President Bush to spell out a clear strategy for victory.

They also found their constituents to be troubled by hearings on the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, although many seemed more upset by outbursts of partisanship in the proceedings than by revelations of failure to prevent the attacks.

Together, people’s reactions to the bloody insurgency in Iraq and the contentious anti-terror hearings at home showed an American public that is growing more restive over Washington’s response to their concerns – an anxiety reflected in hearings that opened Tuesday in the Senate on the outlook for Iraq.

As the Foreign Relations Committee launched the first of three hearings, both Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and ranking Democrat Joseph R. Biden Jr., Del., urged the administration to be more forthcoming about its strategy for returning Iraq to the control of its people.

The Bush administration has sometimes failed to “communicate its Iraq plans and cost estimates to Congress and the American people” and “must recognize that its domestic credibility on Iraq will have a great impact on its efforts to succeed,” Lugar said.

Biden was more sharply critical. U.S. forces in Iraq “may soon be confronted by an untenable situation … caught between hostile Iraqi populations that they were sent to liberate and an increasingly skeptical American public,” Biden said. “No foreign policy can be sustained in this country without the informed consent of the American people, and there has not been an informed consent yet because we have not leveled with them.”

At an Armed Services Committee hearing, Chairman John Warner, R-Va., warned that the United States must be prepared for more violence as the June 30 deadline for transfer of power to an interim Iraqi government approaches and cautioned against raising expectations too high.

Committee member Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she was concerned about the strain on reservists and National Guard members, and their families, because of unexpectedly long deployments. The 94th Military Police Company, based in her state, has been deployed in Iraq more than half of the past four years, she said.

To a large extent, these senators’ views mirrored what other lawmakers heard during Congress’ spring recess – one week for the Senate, two for the House – during which they held hundreds of town hall-style meetings often dominated by concerns over Iraq. This in itself was unusual because such sessions are usually devoted almost entirely to domestic concerns, such as the economy and health care.

The sentiments expressed by lawmakers appeared to signal the likelihood of increased pressure from Congress for a more definitive statement of strategy from the administration, including steps needed for an orderly transfer of power.

At home during the recess, lawmakers found that constituents aren’t ready to “cut and run” from Iraq, despite uncertainty about what lies ahead. Nor do many people disagree with Bush’s broad objectives for promoting democracy there. But they’re becoming impatient because they don’t understand where U.S. policy is headed and when American troops can expect to come home, according to Republicans and Democrats.

“As long as people can see a reasonable [prospect] of Iraq as a functioning democracy, they will continue to support the sacrifice. But the lack of a well-defined plan for how to get there is getting to be more of a problem,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who represents one of the nation’s most pro-military states.

“People inherently want to support the commander in chief, but they also want assurance that America’s purposes are being achieved and that the troops are coming home,” said Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore.

“It’s the idea of a commitment without an end or a strategy that is troubling,” said Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.

Some Democrats encountered a more impatient and disapproving response.

“People would like to know there is a strategy that will bring Americans home, but the situation appears to be going in the opposite direction,” said Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.

People express “dismay mixed with some puzzlement about how we got into this,” said Rep. David Price, D-N.C.

Durbin believes Bush is being hurt politically, and Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., sees a “drip, drip, drip” effect that is gradually eroding support for the president. But Price said, “It’s not clear how much Bush is being held responsible.”

Others, especially Republicans, said support for Bush remains strong – an assessment that dovetails a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll showing that Bush has gained strength politically despite widespread doubts over the success of his policies on Iraq.

Staff writer Josh White contributed to this report.