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Bush cites 'deep desire for peace'Debate on Iraq resolution expected next week
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With the Senate inching closer to what promises to be a momentous debate on Iraq, President Bush Friday tempered his talk of a possible war and predicted he would win a bipartisan congressional resolution that would authorize military action against Baghdad. "I want you to know that behind the rhetoric of war is a deep desire for peace," Bush said during a visit to Denver, Colorado, where he campaigned for a Republican House candidate. He added, "Soon you'll see a resolution come forth supported by members of both parties." But Bush faced skepticism from some Democrats, led Friday by Sen. Edward Kennedy, who sharply criticized the administration for what he described as its failure to make a "convincing case" that war with Iraq was justified. And Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said the administration had further to go in amending its proposed resolution, already scaled back because of objections from Democrats and some Republicans that Bush was seeking too broad a mandate for military action. "We have, in my view, come some distance," Daschle said Thursday night, after the administration agreed to reduce the scope of the resolution. "We got a long way to go before that can be achieved." The draft will come to the floor for debate next week with a vote as early as Friday, but, more likely, the following week, according to Senate leaders The new draft eliminates language from the original White House proposal that granted Bush the authority to "restore international peace and security in the region." Instead, the resolution now grants Bush the power to use U.S. military force to defend U.S. national security and to enforce U.N. Security Council resolutions. Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott urged quick action on the resolution. "We need to get it done," he told reporters. But the Mississippi Republican added that congressional approval of a resolution authorizing the use of force does not mean the United States would immediately go to war. "There's still a lot that has to be done, lots of preparation, lots of consultation," Lott said. "I'm sure the president would like to see the United Nations act." Before taking action, Bush would have to notify the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate that "reliance on further diplomatic means alone will not adequately protect the national security of the United States." In addition, he would have to report back to Congress on the crisis every 90 days. The document includes new clauses urging the United Nations to "decisively ensure" Iraqi compliance with Security Council resolutions requiring it to give up weapons of mass destruction and supporting Bush's efforts to work toward a consensus in the world body. Kennedy: 'War should be a last resort'Despite the changes, there was fresh evidence that some Democrats remained uneasy about the administration's move toward a military strike against Iraq. "War should be a last resort, not the first response," Kennedy, the leading liberal in the Senate, declared in his speech, which followed similar addresses from Daschle and former Vice President Al Gore earlier in the week. Kennedy warned that a unilateral move by the United States could undermine the war on terrorism. He urged the Bush administration to build an international coalition and work with the United Nations to force Saddam to comply with U.N. resolutions on disarmament. Even as Bush gave new emphasis to a desire for a peaceful solution, he vowed to take action against Saddam if the Iraqi leader continued to flout the U.N. resolutions and not allow U.N. weapons inspectors unfettered access in his country. "I'm willing to give peace a chance to work," Bush said. "I want the United Nations to work. I want him to do what he said he would do. But for the sake of our future, now's the time. Now's the time." The administration's message was also delivered by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He told an Atlanta audience that another terrorist attack on the United States is inevitable, and Iraq is the biggest concern to the security of the country. "No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to our security than Iraq," Rumsfeld told an audience of business executives at a Chamber of Commerce lunch. In Washington, work on the proposed resolution has been complicated by partisan anger over what Democrats feel is the Bush administration's effort to exploit the possibility of Iraq for political gain. The administration has denied that claim, but Bush, in his appearances Thursday and Friday, shied away from previous remarks that the Senate -- controlled by Democrats -- was "not interested" in the nation's security. Bush had made that charge Monday while talking about the fight over legislation for a proposed Department of Homeland Security. Many Democrats believe Congress is moving too fast and the current resolution still gives Bush too much authority to use force without exhausting diplomatic efforts and international support. But a number of Democrats said they support the current draft and are hoping for swift action. "I think it's a strong resolution and deserves bipartisan support, and I believe it may be changed more but I believe as presented now it would get broad bipartisan support," Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Connecticut, said Thursday. Two Democratic senators told CNN that Daschle made it clear to his colleagues the current draft is about as far as the White House will go to change it. Administration officials and Senate Republicans also said they view the draft as "take it or leave it." Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, and other Senate Democrats are planning to try to offer alternative resolutions on the Senate floor that would require U.N. action before Bush is allowed to use the U.S. military. -- CNN Correspondents Jonathan Karl and Kate Snow and Producer Dana Bash contributed to this report.
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