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Senate leader says military fight is 'lost'

Republicans accuse Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of turning his back on the troops.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published April 20, 2007

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday the war in Iraq is "lost," triggering an angry backlash by Republicans, who said the top Democrat had turned his back on the troops.

The assessment - the most bleak yet from Reid - came before the House voted 215-199 to uphold legislation ordering troops out of Iraq next year.

Reid said he told President Bush on Wednesday he thought the war could not be won through military force, although he said the U.S. could still pursue political, economic and diplomatic means to bring peace to Iraq.

"I believe myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense and - you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows - (know) this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday," said Reid, D-Nev.

Republicans pounced on the comment as evidence, they said, that Democrats do not support the troops.

"I can't begin to imagine how our troops in the field, who are risking their lives every day, are going to react when they get back to base and hear that the Democrat leader of the United States Senate has declared the war is lost," said Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Fast Facts:

Florida's vote

A yes vote was in support of the legislation.

Voting 'yes', Democrats: Boyd, Allen; Brown, Corrine; Castor, Kathy; Hastings, Alcee L.; Klein, Ron; Mahoney, Tim; Meek, Kendrick B.; Wasserman Schultz, Debbie; Wexler, Robert.

Voting 'no', Republicans: Bilirakis, Gus M.; Brown-Waite, Ginny; Buchanan, Vern; Crenshaw, Ander; Diaz-Balart, Lincoln; Diaz-Balart, Mario; Feeney, Tom; Keller, Ric; Mack, Connie; Mica, John L.; Miller, Jeff; Putnam, Adam H.; Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana; Stearns, Cliff; Weldon, Dave; Young, C. W. Bill.

How they voted

A yes vote was in support of the legislation.

Voting 'yes', Democrats: Boyd, Allen; Brown, Corrine; Castor, Kathy; Hastings, Alcee L.; Klein, Ron; Mahoney, Tim; Meek, Kendrick B.; Wasserman Schultz, Debbie; Wexler, Robert.

Voting 'no', Republicans: Bilirakis, Gus M.; Brown-Waite, Ginny; Buchanan, Vern; Crenshaw, Ander; Diaz-Balart, Lincoln; Diaz-Balart, Mario; Feeney, Tom; Keller, Ric; Mack, Connie; Mica, John L.; Miller, Jeff; Putnam, Adam H.; Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana; Stearns, Cliff; Weldon, Dave; Young, C. W. Bill.

[Last modified April 20, 2007, 01:04:34]