Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Sununu says he won't support Bush's Iraq surge
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Sen. John Sununu told CNN Tuesday he will not support President Bush's plan to send an additional 21,000 U.S. troops to Iraq, although he hasn't yet decided whether to back a Democratic resolution opposing the move.
Sununu, from New Hampshire, is the eighth GOP senator so far to break with the president on his new Iraq strategy, with at least five others expressing reservations -- defections which could make it difficult for Republican leaders to sustain a filibuster blocking an anti-surge resolution. Sununu told CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash that he can't support sending additional troops before the Iraqis step up to the plate themselves. He said he hasn't decided whether to support the Democratic resolution because it is not yet written. Democrats are trying to draft language that will garner the most GOP votes, and Sununu indicated they have talked to him about the wording. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, has predicted that as many as a dozen Republicans will support the resolution opposing the deployment of additional troops to Iraq, more than enough to ensure it passes. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has said Republicans might use a filibuster to keep it from coming to a vote, even though the resolution would be non-binding. With the number of Republican senators expressing opposition to Bush's plan growing, Sen. McConnell may find it difficult to find the necessary votes to sustain a filibuster. -- CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash
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