White House: We will send more troops in Iraq
President Bush: "I've made my decision. And we're going forward"
• Vice President Cheney says congressional critics won't influence troop plans
• Cheney says Democratic critics don't have coherent alternative to Bush strategy
• Cheney says giving up fight in Iraq would send wrong message to enemies
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush, facing opposition from both parties over his plan to send more troops to Iraq, said he has the authority to act no matter what Congress wants.
"I fully understand they could try to stop me from doing it. But I've made my decision. And we're going forward," Bush told CBS' "60 Minutes" in an interview to air Sunday night.
Vice President Dick Cheney asserted that lawmakers' criticism will not influence Bush's plans and he dismissed any effort to "run a war by committee."
"The president is the commander in chief. He's the one who has to make these tough decisions," Cheney said.
The defiant White House stance comes as both the House and Senate, now controlled by Democrats, prepare to vote on resolutions that oppose additional U.S. troops in Iraq. Cheney said those nonbinding votes would not affect Bush's ability to carry out his policies.
"He's the guy who's got to decide how to use the force and where to deploy the force," Cheney said. "And Congress obviously has to support the effort through the power of the purse. So they've got a role to play, and we certainly recognize that. But you also cannot run a war by committee."
Any attempts to block Bush's efforts
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/14/US.iraq.ap/index.html
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