Senate Democrats have criticized President Bush, saying he is not being candid about realities on the ground in Iraq.
Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said he was disappointed in a speech on Iraq the president delivered Wednesday. He said the American people are hungry for a frank appraisal of the situation in Iraq, and said the president's speech contained generalities instead of specifics.
The president's opponent in the last election, Senator John Kerry, said Mr. Bush is drawing a false line in making his case to America on Iraq. He said no one was has ever suggested that the United States should run in the face of car bombers, and that everyone believes in U.S. troops.
Senator Kerry said Democratic leaders are not seeking an "artificial deadline" for U.S. forces to withdraw, but an estimated timetable for success. He said the American people want to have some idea of how long they should expect U.S. forces to be in Iraq.