WASHINGTON, July 6 (UPI) -- The White House trod carefully Friday in its reaction to another major Republican defection from the president's war policy.
"Senator Pete Domenici is someone we have an enormous amount of respect for ... so he is someone we listen to," spokesman Tony Fratto said.
"(But) I think there's been a bit too much, maybe, made of what some people perceive as differences in terms of what our -- what our strategy is in Iraq."
Domenici, R-N.M., a powerful presence on Capitol Hill and previously a strong supporter of the war in Iraq, said Thursday a new strategy was needed to bring U.S. troops home given apparent lack of Iraqi government progress in achieving reconciliation among its various ethnic and sectarian groups.
"We cannot continue asking our troops to sacrifice indefinitely while the Iraqi government is not making measurable progress," he said.
"I do not support an immediate withdrawal from Iraq or a reduction in funding for our troops. But I do support a new strategy that will move our troops out of combat operations and on the path to coming home."
Domenici's questioning of President Bush's "surge" strategy to give Iraq time to effect national reconciliation efforts follows that of Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., another war supporter and foreign affairs expert.
The defections may be mainly symbolic gestures at the moment, but they are important ones. So far Republicans in the Senate have, on the whole, continued to support the president and scupper Democratic efforts to end the war immediately or set a withdrawal timetable. The question now is how much longer President Bush can count on that support.
Fratto noted Domenici said he opposed immediate withdrawal. He also stressed progress made, or not made, in Iraq would become clearer in September when the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq reports to Congress.
