John Cornyn: “as I try to count up the number of positions of Senators articulating either for or against the various resolutions, I…”

“as I try to count up the number of positions of Senators articulating either for or against the various resolutions, I count at least six, and maybe there are more. There are some who say, yes, that the President's plan--basically, that General Petraeus, the architect of that plan, will have responsibility for implementing--that plan ought to get a chance. Then there are those who say: No, we disagree with that plan. We do not believe that General Petraeus should get the additional five brigades that the plan calls for, but we do think in Anbar Province additional troops ought to go in to fight al-Qaida in Iraq. Then there is a third position I count that says we think there shouldn't be additional troops, and we want to cap the number of troops, period, and we want to set a timetable for their withdrawal. That would actually be No. 4. Some of the distinguished Members of this Senate have said these nonbinding resolutions are shooting with blanks. What we ought to do is have a vote on cutting off funds because that is the sole way that Congress can have a definitive impact on what is happening. We do not believe any funds should be appropriated for this effort. That is a fifth position, as I count it. Then there are those--and I find myself in this group--who say: No, we shouldn't cut off funds that support our troops during a time of war. In fact, we ought to give this a chance.”