WASHINGTON — President Bush's plan to send additional troops to Iraq has further united Democrats on Capitol Hill, who nearly unanimously condemned the president's proposals Wednesday night.
Republicans, meanwhile, have splintered in the face of widespread popular discontent over the war and Bush's plans to escalate it.
The congressional reaction Wednesday to the president's prime-time television address underscored how dramatically Bush's proposal has changed the political dynamic in Washington less than a week after Democrats assumed control of the House and Senate.
Emboldened Democrats, who for years struggled to find common ground in challenging the White House, have found a target in the plan and are coalescing around the demand that troops be withdrawn.
And once-united Republicans now face an unpleasant choice: Stand behind a deeply unpopular troop buildup or take on the head of their party.
"There is a lot of anxiety and heartburn here," Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) said outside the House chamber, noting the conflicted feelings of many GOP lawmakers toward Bush. "He's our guy. No one wants to go against our guy. And he's the commander in chief and the guy who campaigned for all of us. But he is Iraq."
LaHood and many Republicans stood by the president Wednesday, praising Bush for his commitment to reducing the sectarian strife in Iraq.
"The president should be commended for adapting to the reality on the ground in Iraq," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). "And although the new plan is not without risk, it provides the best chance for helping the Iraqi people form a country that can defend itself and is an ally in the war on terror."
But McConnell does not head a united front.
A number of Republican senators expressed deep reservations about the president's proposals Wednesday.
"I want real evidence that a potential surge in troops will do more good than harm and will not exacerbate the existing violence in Iraq," said Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio), who was invited to the White House to discuss the plan. "I am skeptical."
Other GOP dissenters include Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Gordon H. Smith of Oregon and Sam Brownback of Kansas, a presidential candidate who once staunchly supported Bush's foreign policy.
