Though quickly vetoed, Iraq pullout plan was rare wartime rebuke
WASHINGTON -- Anti-war legislation on the way to President Bush for his promised veto represents a rare rebuke by Congress of a large and ongoing ground conflict, even eclipsing challenges made during the Vietnam War. [The bill was vetoed at 6 p.m. EDT.]
While a bill ordering troops home from an ongoing military mission is not unprecedented -- legislation aimed at conflicts in Somalia and Haiti are other examples -- the Iraq bill is an unusually swift feat by a Congress forcefully challenging a war involving thousands of U.S. troops.
''Congress is not shy usually about attempting to create problems for a president when a war becomes unpopular,'' said Julian Zelizer, a congressional historian and professor at Boston University. ''But I think the significance here is that in a big war, they were able to at least get the legislation to the president's desk pretty early from a historical perspective.''
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While a bill ordering troops home from an ongoing military mission is not unprecedented -- legislation aimed at conflicts in Somalia and Haiti are other examples -- the Iraq bill is an unusually swift feat by a Congress forcefully challenging a war involving thousands of U.S. troops.
''Congress is not shy usually about attempting to create problems for a president when a war becomes unpopular,'' said Julian Zelizer, a congressional historian and professor at Boston University. ''But I think the significance here is that in a big war, they were able to at least get the legislation to the president's desk pretty early from a historical perspective.''
Related Links
History of Presidential vetoes (AP sidebar) 4 years ago today, Bush's 'Mission Accomplished' speech (CNN)