In sign of what’s to come, Domenici bails on Bush

In a major blow to the Bush administration, U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici just endorsed a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

This is big. Domenici is a senior ranking and stalwart Republican, with 36 years in the Senate under his belt. He sits on the defense appropriations subcommittee. He’s also up for reelection in 2008.

Come September, I suspect we’ll be hearing a lot more Republicans sounding like this:

I want a new strategy for Iraq…. I am unwilling to continue our current strategy.

I have carefully studied the Iraq situation, and believe we cannot continue asking our troops to sacrifice indefinitely while the Iraqi government is not making measurable progress to move its country forward. I do not support an immediate withdrawal from Iraq … but I do support a new strategy that will move our troops out of combat operations and on the path to coming home.”