Dems call for Iraq summit
By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Triumphant U.S. congressional Democratic leaders began to flex their new political muscle on Wednesday by urging President George W. Bush to host a bipartisan summit on the Iraq war and find common ground with them on such domestic issues as education and health care.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said the American people voted for change in Tuesday's elections.
"I hope that he (Bush) will listen," Pelosi said at a news news conference after receiving a congratulatory telephone call from Bush, who also called Reid.
"I told him (Bush) what I said last night -- that I looked forward to working in a bipartisan way with him, that the success of the president is always good for the country and I hoped that we could work together for the American people," Pelosi said.
Reid said: "It is time to put partisanship aside and find a new way forward - at home and in Iraq. Today, I ask the president to convene a bipartisan Iraq summit with the leaders of Congress."
With the Iraq war a dominant issue, Democrats swept Republicans from power in the House of Representatives and were only one still-contested seat away from dominating the Senate.
Pelosi seems certain to be elected as the first woman speaker of the House, the chamber's top job, when the new 110th Congress convenes in January.
She would replace Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, who announced he would not seek election as a Republican leader in the new House. Continued...
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Triumphant U.S. congressional Democratic leaders began to flex their new political muscle on Wednesday by urging President George W. Bush to host a bipartisan summit on the Iraq war and find common ground with them on such domestic issues as education and health care.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said the American people voted for change in Tuesday's elections.
"I hope that he (Bush) will listen," Pelosi said at a news news conference after receiving a congratulatory telephone call from Bush, who also called Reid.
"I told him (Bush) what I said last night -- that I looked forward to working in a bipartisan way with him, that the success of the president is always good for the country and I hoped that we could work together for the American people," Pelosi said.
Reid said: "It is time to put partisanship aside and find a new way forward - at home and in Iraq. Today, I ask the president to convene a bipartisan Iraq summit with the leaders of Congress."
With the Iraq war a dominant issue, Democrats swept Republicans from power in the House of Representatives and were only one still-contested seat away from dominating the Senate.
Pelosi seems certain to be elected as the first woman speaker of the House, the chamber's top job, when the new 110th Congress convenes in January.
She would replace Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, who announced he would not seek election as a Republican leader in the new House. Continued...
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 12:30 AM
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