Bush woos top Democrats after election drubbing

[Ron Burgundy]

AFP - US President George W. Bush is due to meet the future Senate majority leader after the Republican rout in Congressional elections, but the new spirit of compromise was already being tested over the war in Iraq.

A day after lunching with top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi, Bush was scheduled to meet Friday with her Senate counterpart Harry Reid in hopes of fashioning the basis for bipartisanship for his last two years in the White House.

But already discord was in the air as Democrats, coming off of their rout of Republicans in Tuesday's midterm elections, made clear they wanted changes in key policy areas, especially in the US troop presence in Iraq.

Speaking after his meeting with Pelosi, the 66-year-old Democrat set to become the first woman speaker of the House of Representatives in early January, Bush vowed to work with triumphant Democrats in a show of post-election bipartisanship.

"The elections are now behind us, and the congresswoman's party won, but the challenges still remain," said Bush.

"We're going to work together to address those challenges in a constructive way, we won't agree on every issue. But we do agree that we love America equally, that we're concerned about the future of this country."

But in a sign the new spirit of cooperation may be only skin deep, senior Democratic Representative John Murtha (news, bio, voting record) said the resignation of Bush's stalwart Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday was not enough to ameliorate party differences over the war in Iraq.

"All right, you fired the secretary of defense. But that's not a change in policy," Murtha, who will vie with minority whip Steny Hoyer to be the House majority leader in January, said on CNN television.

"What we have to do is give a deadline to the Iraqis," Murtha said, adding that he favored opening an investigation into how Bush's White House entered and managed the war in Iraq.

In another blow to pluralism, the White House resubmitted the nomination of hawkish United Nations ambassador John Bolton to the Senate, sparking an immediate row with Democrats.

Bolton had previously been blocked by Democrats together with a rebel Republican in 2005, but was then granted a recess appointment by Bush.

The White House's move appeared to be a bid to get Bolton approved in a "lame duck" session of Congress still controlled by Republicans which opens next week.

Democratic Senator Chris Dodd reacted angrily, accusing the White House of trying to "jam this nomination through during a lame duck session."

"I see no point in considering Mr. Bolton's nomination again," said Democrat Senator Joe Biden.

As Bush set out to salvage the last two years of his presidency, Democrats celebrated a complete rout as Republican Senator George Allen conceded defeat in Virginia to challenger Jim Webb, handing the Senate to Democrats.

The victory in the final race of 33 Senate seats up for grabs handed Democrats control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years.

Combined with two independent senators likely to caucus with Democrats, Democrats have a 51-49 margin over Republicans.

Senator Chuck Schumer, who masterminded the campaign, warned that though Democrats wanted to work with the president, they wouldn't be browbeaten.

"Will we stand up to the president when we think he is wrong? Yes," said Schumer.

"But our real mission is to work together and help the American family and make a better America," he added.

Eyes in Washington were also turning to a bipartisan commission probing new approaches to the occupation of Iraq, after Bush admitted voters were fed up with the situation in a country where 2,800 US troops and tens of thousands of civilians have died.

The group co-led by former secretary of state James Baker, due to report within months, is seen by many observers as a chance for both parties to coalesce around a common strategy.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Thursday Bush would not necessarily adopt the group's recommendations.

"To the extent that the Iraq Study Group has fresh ideas and analysis that we think is going to be interesting and helpful, we're going to be grateful for it," Snow said.

"But the idea that somebody says, 'Ah-ha, here's the document, let us follow' -- no, it doesn't work that way."