Iraqi handover draws dueling reactions
Dems cite challenges, while GOP praises transfer
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 CNN's Kathleen Koch on U.S. lawmakers' doubts about the new government.
 CNN's Christiane Amanpour on the coalition's transfer of power.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When Iraqi sovereignty arrived two days earlier than scheduled, politicians from Baghdad to Washington wasted no time in weighing in on the political implications of the historic day.
Before former civil administrator Paul Bremer's plane landed in the United States, two increasingly distinct -- and dueling -- reactions had emerged, mostly along party lines.
President Bush praised the handover as a "moral achievement" and called the transition of power in Iraq a "day of great hope for Iraqis."
Democrats, meanwhile, were talking about the challenges ahead. Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, asserted that Bush's handling of Iraq has made the world "far more tattered and volatile."
I spoke to Sen. John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee about the transfer of power.
The Virginia Republican emphasized that the handover of power granted Monday to the Iraqi interim leaders is more than a symbolic gesture.
"I think it's real sovereignty, because they can make the tough decisions. And they can take the responsibility," Warner said on Inside Politics. "And I have the best information, having met the president of Iraq and other colleagues, the prime minister. Tremendously strong, dedicated people have taken charge."
Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under the Clinton administration, challenged this view. Also speaking on Inside Politics, Holbrooke equated the transfer of sovereignty with "diving off a diving board without knowing if there is any water in the pool."
"What should have been a great day was held in secrecy because of security. It's a rather strong metaphor for the whole tragic and very unfortunate occupation period," Holbrooke told me.
Sharp reaction to the handover in Iraq comes at a time when Democrats are criticizing the Bush administration for not seeking international support earlier. As CNN's John King reported Monday, while Bush is celebrating NATO's pledge at the summit in Istanbul to help train Iraqi forces, there is much less support and international cooperation than the White House had anticipated months ago.
Nevertheless, some Iraqis remain hopeful that Monday's transfer of power will bring real results to Iraq.
"For the first time in 14, 15 months, we have a government that can dispose of Iraq's political future ... and above all can begin the process of building up Iraq's security forces so that gradually, Iraq's ability to control security in the country can increase and eventually, we have control of our security situation," Rend al-Rahim, Iraq's ambassador-designate to the United States told me. "This is a very important step forward."
Voters' views of the handover and what happens down the road is another challenge facing the candidates as November nears.
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll on Monday showed that Americans are not optimistic that peace and security will be established in Iraq soon. By nearly 2 to 1, the public considers the transfer of power to be a sign that U.S. policy is failing, because it is taking place before the country has been stabilized.
But perhaps the biggest factor influencing handover politics is security in Iraq. And that seems nearly impossible for any expert to predict
Even the Bush-Cheney campaign officials decided to pass up the opportunity to crow about the handover because they're wary of raising expectations given the continued violence in Iraq, CNN Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry reported on Monday.
For now, what we know for sure is that Monday will be looked back on as a date, a circle on the calendar, with which any change in Iraq's situation will be compared.
And that will surely play into efforts of both presidential campaigns to portray their policies and their candidates as best equipped to deal with Iraq.
Judy Woodruff is CNN's prime anchor and senior correspondent. She also anchors "Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics," weekdays at 3:30 pm ET.
