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Echoes of Pryor in Romney Plan

April 03, 2007 4:33 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Gov. Mitt Romney's, R-Mass., call this morning for a set of timetables for withdrawal from Iraq -- private timetables unknown to the public -- bears some striking similarities to an idea hatched and endorsed by Democratic Senator Mark Pryor, D-Arkansas.

Pryor has been alone in his calls for a classified timetable and has drawn skepticism from the reporters who wrote about them, as well as his Democratic and Republican colleagues who would not support them.

While he did eventually vote for the supplemental spending bill last week, Pryor was the lone Democrat to vote against the Democratic withdrawal plan in the Senate (besides "Independent Democrat" Sen. Joe Lieberman, I/D-Conn).

Pryor, like many Republicans across the aisle, worries that if there is a timetable for withdrawal it will give too much information to terrorists plotting in Iraq. Setting a secret timetable would allow the US military to be more stern with the Iraqi government without advertising to the enemy.

Pryor's communications director, Michael Teague, points out that when congressional delegations go to Iraq and elsewhere -- such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's current trip to Syria -- the travels are kept secret to insure the safety of the lawmakers. American troops, said Teague, should be afforded the same luxury.

Teague asked if anybody remembers "when Geraldo was in Afghanistan, drawing troop movements on the ground with a stick?" and he noted that back then, "People went ballistic on him."

April 3, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (0)

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