AP - Hutchison Backs Democrat on Iraq Plan

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AP - Hutchison Backs Democrat on Iraq Plan

Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a longtime backer of President Bush's Iraq policies, on Friday joined with a prominent Democrat to push a war proposal the Bush administration opposes.

She joined with Sen. Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate from Delaware, on a proposal that would give regions of Iraq local control over police, jobs, education and government services. A central government would protect Iraq's borders and distribute oil revenues.

Biden's proposal, an amendment to the defense authorization bill, could get a vote next week.

Hutchison said her backing of the amendment doesn't mean she has changed her position on the war. She echoed the administration view that the buildup of troops has succeeded in reducing violence and given troops time to begin training Iraqis to take more control of the country.

"I don't think you are going to have some political stability if you don't have economic progress. People are going to have to work, have a job," Hutchison said. "Obviously security is a major part of that, but I also think the ethnic strife is going to hurt the capability to create that economic opportunity."

Hutchison said Iraqis already have envisioned a similar plan and included a way to do it in their constitution.

The plan would be a political settlement that would allow troops to leave Iraq without leaving chaos behind, Biden said.

"We have to deal with getting our troops home soon, we have to protect the readiness of our troops while they are there, and we have to have a plan to leave behind a stable Iraq so our grandkids don't have to go back a generation from now," Biden said in a news release.

Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified this month that violence had decreased in Iraq but acknowledged the country is largely dysfunctional.

The administration has backed Petraeus' recommendation to keep some 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq until next summer. Democrats want to order troops home by next spring.

Along with Hutchison, Republican Sens. Sam Brownback of Kansas, also a presidential candidate; Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania; and Gordon Smith of Oregon are co-sponsoring the bill.

Democrats supporting Biden's measure are Sens. Barbara Boxer of California, John Kerry of Massachusetts, Bill Nelson of Florida, Chuck Schumer of New York, Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, said the proposal merits further investigation.

"I have long emphasized that the problem of Iraq requires a political solution, not a military one," Reyes said.

Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, said Biden's proposal warrants discussion.

"Our goal in Iraq, at this point, is to leave the people with as much security and stability as possible," Ortiz said. "We may never see traditional democracy in Iraq as it stands now, and unfortunately there are no easy answers and no simple solutions."

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