Michigan Lawmakers React To President's Plan

Several Michigan Republicans expressed serious doubts Thursday about President Bush's proposal to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq, a move that left many unanswered questions in their minds.
   With more than 3,000 American soldiers killed in Iraq and wide disapproval of the war among the public, the lawmakers said Bush failed to provide enough specifics during his nationwide address Wednesday night and offer a clear understanding of the mission.
   ``His leadership is on the line here and he knows it,'' said Rep. Joe Knollenberg, a Republican from Oakland County's Bloomfield Township. The congressman said he would only offer ``conditional support'' for the plan and wanted to see significant progress in the next three to four months.
   Rep. Candice Miller, a Republican from Macomb County's Harrison Township who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said she was ``extremely hesitant to embrace'' Bush's strategy because of several lingering questions.
   Miller, the wife of a former Air Force fighter pilot, said Bush did not offer a specific timeframe for the troops and the consequences to the Iraqis if they fail to meet Bush's benchmarks.
   ``If the Iraqi government does not start meeting the benchmarks, definitive timelines, on securing their own freedoms, then we need to have a significant drawdown of our troops this year,'' Miller said.
   Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, said he had ``strong reservations'' about the plan. He said many questions still remain - military mission and what are the rules of engagement of the troops.
   ``I think we need to win in Iraq - it's very important. I'm just not sure that this will have the desired outcome,'' Rogers said.
   The questioning of Bush's plan reflect a growing uncertainty in Congress about the war effort.
   Several Republicans in Michigan were firm supporters of the war effort last year. For example, all but one of the Republicans in the delegation supported a resolution last June rejecting a timetable for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq.
   Knollenberg said during that debate that the nation ``must stay the course'' in Iraq and it was ``essential that we continue the fight in Iraq, so that the fight does not come to our backyards.''
   Knollenberg, who won re-election in November by the narrowest margin during his 14-year career in Congress, said Thursday his ``patience is getting thinner'' over the war and he hoped to see progress in stabilizing the country in the coming months.
   Rep. Vernon Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, said the U.S. also needs to enhance its diplomatic efforts throughout the Middle East ``to get their assistance with our task in Iraq. Only by engaging these governments will we be able to create an environment conducive for a lasting peace in that region of the world.''
  

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