WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Fresh off a briefing with President Bush on his Iraq speech, Congressional Democratic leaders expressed frustration Wednesday they were not consulted earlier about his new way forward in Iraq.

"I think the conversation that we had with the President just now would have been much better a week ago, a month ago, six months ago," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said outside the White House Wednesday. "The President is practicing his speech right now. We have a conversation today that has no impact on what he is going to say."

"It's just really unfortunate that we cannot have real consultation between the legislative and the executive branch when it comes to protecting the American people," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said.

"This was notification, not consultation," Pelosi added.