Democrats Revamp Surrender Plan

They're not yet ready to surrender their surrender plan.

House Democratic leaders are developing an anti-war proposal that wouldn't cut off money for U.S. troops in Iraq but would require President Bush to acknowledge problems with an overburdened military.

The plan could draw bipartisan support but is expected to be a tough sell to members who say they don't think it goes far enough to assuage voters angered by the four-year conflict.

Bush "hasn't to date done anything we've asked him to do, so why we would think he would do anything in the future is beyond me," said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., one of a group of liberal Democrats pushing for an immediate end to the war.

Sharp cookie, that Woolsey. Next thing you know, she might realize Bush isn't paying attention to them for a simple reason. The American people do not want to turn tail and run.

The House Democratic proposal brought a sharp response from Republicans on Wednesday.

Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla., called the plan a "fig leaf" to distract the public from what he said was Democrats' ultimate goal of cutting off funds for troops in combat.

"We support full funding for our troops who are in harms way — without strings attached," said Putnam, R-Fla., after emerging from a closed-door conference meeting.

Meanwhile, the Democrats plan to lard up the latest Iraq spending bill.

Priorities.