GOP forces vote on immediate pullout

WASHINGTON — In a maneuver to strike at Iraq war critics, the Republican-led House engineered a vote Friday on a resolution to pull U.S. troops immediately from Iraq. The resolution was defeated nearly unanimously.

The House voted 403-3 against the resolution after Democratic leaders dismissed the measure as a political stunt that distorted the intentions of a lawmaker who called Thursday for a pullout. The three votes in favor were cast by Democrats.

The vote was preceded by debate that opened the chamber's raw partisan divisions and prompted a tumultuous scene that Capitol Hill veterans called among the most wild and emotional they had ever witnessed.

"We need to change direction in Iraq," said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., whose call a day earlier for pulling out troops triggered a nasty debate over the war.

House Republicans said they feared media coverage of Murtha's stance could create an impression in the United States and abroad that Congress' commitment to completing the mission in Iraq was wavering.

"We have an opportunity to do something tonight ... to cut through that ambiguity, that confusion," said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

While Democrats disagree among themselves on how to withdraw from Iraq, they accused Republicans of staging the hasty vote to embarrass Murtha, 73, a former Marine who is the ranking Democrat on the defense appropriations subcommittee.

"Give us a real debate, don't bring this piece of garbage to the floor," said Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass.

Hunter's resolution stated: "That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately."

Murtha noted that his proposal calls for the deployment of troops to end immediately and that their withdrawal occur "at the earliest practicable date." His resolution also called for basing a Marine quick-strike force in the region.

As the GOP leadership pushed the issue to a vote, Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said, "We want to make sure that we support our troops that are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will not retreat."

Most Republicans oppose Murtha's call for withdrawal, and some Democrats also have been reluctant to back his position.

The fireworks, as lawmakers rushed toward a two-week Thanksgiving break, came just days after the GOP-controlled Senate defeated a Democratic push for President Bush to lay out a timetable for withdrawal. Senators approved a statement that 2006 should be a significant year in which conditions are created for the phased withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Democrats gave Murtha a standing ovation Friday as he entered the chamber.

Chaos erupted at 5:20 p.m., when Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, who won a special election in August, defeating Iraqi war veteran Paul Hackett, quoted an Ohio legislator who had called her to protest Murtha's stance. "He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message, that cowards cut and run, Marines never do," she said.

Dozens of Democrats erupted at once, pointing at Schmidt and shouting repeatedly, "take her words down," the House term for retracting a statement. For a moment, Schmidt tried to keep speaking, but the uproar continued and several GOP colleagues surrounded her as she sat down, looking slightly dazed.

Presiding officer Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, gaveled in vain for order as Democrats continued shouting for Schmidt to take back her words. "You guys are pathetic!" Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., yelled from the far side of the Democratic side to the Republican side.

Just as matters seemed to calm, Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn., charged across the aisle to the Republican seats, jabbing his finger furiously at a small group of GOP members and shouting, "Say Murtha's name!" Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., who had led the chants for striking Schmidt's comments, led Ford back to the minority party's side.

With order restored, Schmidt rose again and said, "My words were not directed at any member of the House." She asked that they "be withdrawn" from the record.

As the House temporarily moved to other matters, Ford said in an interview that he charged across the aisle because he was angry that Republicans were using a political ploy to avoid "a real debate" about the war. "I said, 'If you believe it's about Murtha, then talk about Murtha, don't hide behind a resolution,' " Ford said.

Republicans protested that the issue was not Murtha. In fact, many praised him even as they criticized any effort to set a timetable on withdrawal.

"This debate has been a report card on Jack Murtha, and I give him an A-plus as a truly great American," Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., said as applause filled the chamber. Then Hyde added with a smile: "Among his many great qualities, infallibility is not one."

The chamber eventually calmed down and the discussion turned to the mission in Iraq. Republicans argued that troops should remain in Iraq until Iraqis can defend and govern themselves. Democrats, led by Murtha, said increases in insurgent attacks and Iraqi-public opposition to the troops made the mission impossible.

After seven hours of debate, lawmakers voted 403-3 to defeat the resolution, as expected. Three Democrats, Jose Serrano of New York, Robert Wexler of Florida and Cynthia McKinney of Georgia, voted for withdrawal, while six, including Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., voted present. The rest of the Washington state delegation voted against. Twenty-two lawmakers did not vote. Murtha also voted no.

Material from Knight Ridder Newspapers, The Washington Post, Reuters and The Associated Press is included in this report.