That is why Senator Levin and I and others keep getting back to the notion of consequences...

What can we do to get them to do what is in their own best interests here, what needs to be done?

If he had first choice, he would be doing things differently there.

I think the Vice President said the other day you cannot run a war by committee.

They are probably sophisticated enough to take all this in and accept it for whatever it is worth.

Look, we do not want your brave soldiers dying here, either; I want you to leave Baghdad.

Many of us feel that it is our responsibility now to step up and to provide better direction to this whole thing.

Does a hearing like this, with the diversity of opinion that has been expressed here, undermine the morale of our troops?

I think the best thing we can do to support the morale of our troops and defeat our adversaries is to have a policy that maximizes our chances for success.

Otherwise I am afraid the Iraqis will not take us seriously and the American people will conclude without consequences this really is more of the same.

There is that history we bring to this.

I would encourage you to have--and I'm sure you will--a particularly realistic view of the Iraqi political leadership.

This is a legitimate concern for them. They feel that northern Iraq is being used as a safe haven for terror groups to launch attacks on them.

I would encourage you to focus on whatever leverage we have.

I appreciate your candor in that regard.

I am sure for enlisted men and women as well.

I spent some time at some of those bases that Senator mentioned, Jacksonville, Mayport, those places.

You said what I wanted to hear, October 15th.