Edwards urges Congress to block Iraq escalation

Edwards urges Congress to block Iraq escalation
DES MOINES, Iowa Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards says Congress should use the power of the pursestrings to block President Bush's plans to increase the number of troops in Iraq.
He says funding the escalation would be a huge mistake, and members of Congress have a responsibility to keep taxpayer funds out of the effort.
Edwards spoke today in an interview with The Associated Press and later at a forum on the war at the University of Iowa.
His call for action is far more aggressive than what's being debated in Congress, where Democrats grabbed control in the last election.
Congressional leaders have drafted a resolution declaring that plans to increase the number of troops are against the nation's interest. However, the resolution is nonbinding and President Bush is free to ignore it.
In urging Congress to be more aggressive, Edwards is challenging rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination. Those include Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and John Kerry.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights
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