Congress Grills and Roasts Rumsfeld on Iraq

A Senate hearing yesterday with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld turned into a grueling clash lasting nearly six hours as Democrats voiced growing concern about the course of U.S. policy in Iraq and Republicans sought to underscore the postwar progress so far.

In a sign of mounting partisan fighting over Iraq, triggered by President Bush's $87 billion emergency supplemental request, Democratic senators declared the recovery effort so far a political failure and accused the administration of having misled the country into an exceedingly costly mess.

One senior Republican senator, reflecting rising anxiety even among party loyalists, told Rumsfeld bluntly that the administration must outline a clear plan for stabilizing Iraq and provide the public with regular updates on how the plan is proceeding.

In a speech at the Heritage Foundation, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) accused Democrats of ignoring the grave terrorist threat facing the United States.

"Democrats want to return to the weak and indecisive foreign policy of the Cold War," he said.

EL - Can someone remind bugman we won the cold war.

Meanwhile, the top U.S. civil administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, made his third Capitol Hill appearance in three days, testifying before the Foreign Relations and House Appropriations foreign operations subcommittee.

Rep. David R. Obey (Wis.), the ranking Democrat, accused Bremer of "stiffing" the panel by refusing to provide a five-year cost estimate.

"I resent that," Bremer responded.

"I do, too," Obey shot back.