Susan Collins: “the war in Iraq is the greatest challenge facing our country. Unfortunately, the political debate in Washington has not…”

“the war in Iraq is the greatest challenge facing our country. Unfortunately, the political debate in Washington has not been conducive to finding a solution, as political divisions have hardened during the past year. Vitriolic rhetoric and veto threats do not help us pursue a new direction. I believe the way forward must be a bipartisan approach that puts the interests of our country ahead of political gain. Our Nation needs to forge a new bipartisan strategy that will redefine the mission and set the stage for a significant but responsible withdrawal of our troops over the next year. Fortunately, we do not have to search far and wide to find this new policy. It is already mapped out for us in the unanimous recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. This group was chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Democratic Congressman Lee Hamilton. It has distinguished Americans from both parties who worked hard to forge a unanimous, bipartisan consensus on the road ahead in Iraq. The Commission's recommendations chart the path forward and remain as viable today as when they were first released last December.”