Resolution Opposed by 11 Wary Democrats

WASHINGTON — Once the bombing of Iraq started, most members of Congress -- even those who have opposed the march to war -- rallied around President Bush.

The clear exceptions -- 11 House members.

The 11, all Democrats and almost half from California, broke ranks with their party leaders to oppose a resolution -- approved shortly after 3 a.m. EST Friday -- expressing support for U.S. troops and the commander in chief.

All the dissenters stressed that they, like their colleagues, support the troops. But Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), who posted an explanation of his "no" vote on his congressional Web site, objected that the resolution suggested an endorsement of Bush's policies.

"I, for one, will not be forced to praise the president's decisions, when what I want to do is praise the troops," McDermott said.

A Navy veteran, McDermott drew fire from Republicans when he criticized Bush during a visit to Iraq last fall with two House colleagues.

Rep. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles), one of five California Democrats to oppose the resolution, accused Republicans of playing politics with war.

"I support the troops," she said. "But I will not be coerced into endorsing the president's failure to resolve the Iraq dispute peacefully. We are not at war because it is necessary. We are at war because the president failed to find a diplomatic solution to this problem."

The resolution received 392 "yea" votes, while 22 members abstained by voting "present."

Along with backing for the troops, the resolution expressed "unequivocal support" for Bush as commander in chief. It praised his "firm leadership and decisive action" in the military action "as part of the ongoing Global War on Terrorism."

The measure was approved after lengthy negotiations between Democratic and Republicans leaders over its wording.

Stuart Roy, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), said GOP leaders worked with the Democrats to devise language that would "get broad bipartisan support, and I think we did that."

Some Democrats said they still objected to parts of the resolution's phrasing, but voted for it because they did not want to be branded unpatriotic.

Don Kettl, a University of Wisconsin political scientist, said the concern among many Democrats was that the resolution "is a trap