July 12, 2007
Posted: 01:40 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The House is debating a bill Thursday calling for most U.S. troops to leave Iraq by April 1, 2008.

Democrats say they are confident that a handful of Republicans will support their legislation.

Representatives Walter Jones, R-North Carolina, and Wayne Gilchrest, R-Maryland, voted for previous Democratic attempts to set a timetable for withdrawal, and they will do so again today.

"After four and a half years of staying the course, what's the definition of staying the course? And the definition of victory? To me, this is a step in the right direction," said Jones.

But House Republican Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, believes that most of his Republican colleagues are unwilling to challenge the president's handling of the war until General David Petraeus releases his report on September 15.

At a closed door meeting on Wednesday, Boehner called Republicans who break with the president "wimps."

"It was a way of illustrating the point that we ought to give the generals on the ground and our troops a chance to succeed," said Boehner, in defense of his comment.

– CNN Producer Evan Glass

Filed under: Iraq


Ann Brunswick ME   July 13th, 2007 6:39 pm ET

FORCED RETIREMENT FOR U.S. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

Mike, Corpus Christi Texas   July 13th, 2007 6:10 am ET

What everybody should have learned about Vietnam, is that there shouldn't be another Vietnam!! The only difference we have here is that the battlefields have shifted from Southeast Asia, to Southwest Asia. It's still a Quagmire!!

So Boehner calls his fellow colleagues "wimps." Guess Boehner can be the new standard bearer for the "good ole boys." Maybe they can all get pick up trucks with gun racks! It's important for red necks to look tough!

Mike, HI   July 12th, 2007 6:36 pm ET

Agreed, Ann.

…Woah, wait, you're talking about Democrats, not the Bush administration!?

bret, atl, ga   July 12th, 2007 6:33 pm ET

It's awesome that they are elected in 2006 to stop a war, and here it is 2007 and they vote to end the war, sort of, kinda maybe, in 2008. WAY TO GO GUYS, GLAD IT WAS A BIG PRIORITY FOR YOU.

The simple fact is, they want the war to continue into 2008 for as long as possible, so it can continue to be a General Election Issue. That's it. That's criminal. Lock 'em all up, throw away the key. There's blood all over Capitol Hill, but it ain't on Ron Paul's hands, at least.

RightyTighty   July 12th, 2007 6:02 pm ET

Generals, not politicians, should run a war. Obviously the demorats didn't learn from or don't remmeber Vietnam.

Ann Brunswick ME   July 12th, 2007 5:31 pm ET

House debates… Is that what you call it? What I hear on CNN and from the Democrats is out-and-out lies as to what is going on in Iraq. Democrates are lying to the American people to get the public to agree with their strategy. This is not a democracy, this is nothing more illustrious than a sick attempt at dictatorship. How many poor people have been duped into believing this twisted account of half-truths? What totally floored me was the CNN account of what President Bush said this afternoon to the public. The Democrats deliberately misspoke and re-arranged what was said in order to get their point across. My God, how brazen is this? They must think all Democrat followers are fools indeed. We just heard with our own ears what Bush said, and not 5 minutes later the Democrates tell us a totally different story. I'm ashamed completely that I've followed this arrogant steamroller for so long.

J.B. Oak Lawn IL   July 12th, 2007 4:33 pm ET

John Boehner seems to enjoy his new job as Republican minority leader. I predict he will be the Republican minority leader for many years!

LeftyLosey   July 12th, 2007 4:21 pm ET

Run! Run!! The sky is falling..

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