WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Negotiations between the White House and the House of Representatives on language for a resolution giving President Bush authority to take action to eliminate the threat posed by Iraq's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction was nearing completion, but comments from the Democratic leader of the Senate indicated it may not be the case there.
Sen. Tom Daschle, D-N.D., who accused President Bush on Wednesday of politicizing the war on terror and possible conflict with Iraq to benefit the GOP in midterm elections, said there was no draft resolution yet, just ideas that had yet to be refined.
"There is no draft," he said at a news briefing. "There are just proposals and counterproposals that have been made with regard to a draft, but there is no new draft.
"This is still a working document with a lot of ideas and no consensus and no specific agreements."
The White House sent its proposed version to the leaders of both houses of Congress last Thursday, saying it would work with legislators to adopt final language that would give the president maximum flexibility, including the possible use of force, in dealing with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his threat to regional and world peace.
Speaking Thursday at the White House after a meeting with 20 Republicans and Democrats from the House, Bush said, "We are moving toward a strong resolution. And all of us, and many others in Congress, are united in our determination to confront an urgent threat to America."
"We're making progress," he added. "We're near an agreement. And soon we will speak with one voice."
Bush, standing together with the representatives, appeared to elbow aside, at least for the time being, a surge in partisan acrimony over the administration's Homeland Security bill. The controversy erupted Wednesday and saw both the White House and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill pointing fingers and trading barbs on the bill's holdup.
The threat posed by Iraq and Saddam Hussein is grave and growing, he said.
"And by passing this resolution, we'll send a clear message to the world and to the Iraqi regime the demands of the U.N. Security Council must be followed."
Bush said Saddam must be disarmed.
"These requirements will be met or they will be enforced," he said.
Congressional reaction was supportive to the White House version, but reservations were also expressed, mainly that language presented was too broad and could be interpreted as giving the president authority to act anywhere in the Middle East and against other countries.
Republican and Democratic leadership in both chambers have said they expect to put a resolution to a vote before Congress adjourns next month in advance of midterm elections.
Daschle on Thursday, when asked if he shared the sentiment of Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., that the talks were being drawn out because of White House intransigence on the wording, indicated he was not backing down on his earlier statement that the Iraq issue was politicized.
"I expressed the concern that these talks and all of this has been dragged out," he said. "I think that one can make the case that there are those who have decided that this ought to be a politically motivated exercise, and I cited pollsters and members of the White House staff who have made that case.
"But, as I said, I hope in spite of that, in spite of those grave concerns we have about politicization of this effort, that we can reach a conclusion successfully, an agreement that will allow bipartisan compromise."
The administration has said it also expects negotiations between Washington and its allies to lead to a vote on a strong U.N. resolution to compel Iraq to obey previous disarmament agreements in the near future.
The administration's draft congressional resolution contains a long preamble in which Iraq's violations of international mandates and norms of behavior were spelled out.
Those accusations, repeated incessantly by the president, are to underline the dangers posed by Iraq and garner domestic and international support.
On Thursday, Bush again said Iraq not only possessed chemical and biological weapons but someday could also have nuclear weapons and pass those instruments to terrorist organization.
"The dangers we face will only worsen from month to month and from year to year" if we don't act, he said.
"We refuse to live in this future of fear. Democrats and Republicans refuse to live in a future of fear.
"Members (of Congress) here this morning are committed to American leadership for the good of all nations. I appreciate their spirit, I appreciate their love for country."
The administration has made it clear it is prepared to act alone, if necessary to blunt the Iraqi threat and remove Saddam from power, which has been official U.S. policy since 1998.
So far, only Britain has voiced strong support for military action. Other nations have indicated they would only support multilateral military action under the authorization of the United Nations.
The White House said Thursday a U.N. resolution was still being discussed at the world body.
"It still is being discussed. Conversations are ongoing involving the United States and Britain, as well as our other allies on the Security Council," Spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "And so conversations continue and we'll see what the exact timing is, but it's still on going.
"I can tell you the president is pleased with the progress on substance and on the timing," he added.
While negotiations continue to garner a U.N. Security Council resolution that would pave the way to military action, the United States has been slowly beefing up its forces in the region -- ostensibly for exercises.
Following agreement on resolution language in Congress, "Congress will have an important debate, a meaningful debate, an historic debate," that would be conducted with civility, Bush said.
The result would be "an instrument of leadership."
