Duncan, Paul vote for quick Iraq withdrawal

It’s not just moderate Republicans who oppose President Bush’s policies in Iraq.  Thursday evening, two hard-line conservative Republicans voted for a bill to end the war in Iraq – a measure put forward by the House’s most liberal members.

Reps. John Duncan, a hard-line conservative from Tennessee and Ron Paul, a presidential candidate from Texas, voted for the measure that calls for the beginning of a troop withdrawal within 90 days. Meanwhile, Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.), who’s been a high-profile Republican vote against the war termed the bill “too strong”and voted no, as did Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.).

{mosads}Duncan said he has opposed the war from the beginning based on conservative principles.

“It makes us the policeman of the world, and conservatives have traditionally been against world government,” Duncan said.

Duncan has not voted for the spending measures that the Democratic leaders have been using to try to change course on Iraq. That, he said, is because they include too much wasteful spending “and they continue a war I do not support.”

The bill Duncan supported, sponsored by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) would call for full withdrawal of troops nine months after enactment. It was defeated 171-255. Seven members did not vote.

Democratic sources said the measure was brought to the floor to bring “pragmatic liberals” back into the fold; those like Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), who were tiring of voting for weaker and weaker bills and who otherwise might have voted against the Democratic leadership’s staggered Iraq wartime supplemental spending bill.

But some senior Democrats say privately that liberals are trying the patience of Democratic leaders by voting to make a point rather than pass the best bill they can to end the war.