U.S. Lawmakers Consider Iraq Question
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Major differences remain as U.S. lawmakers consider the best way to deal with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Tempers are flaring and the debate about whether Iraq is a serious threat does go on. CNN's Senior White House Correspondent John King says the debate is getting even hotter.</s>JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An anti-war message to open this week's Iraq debate in Washington but the president's position is all but certain to carry the day in Congress.</s>SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I believe you will see at the end of this coming week or early in the next week an overwhelming majority support vote in both houses of Congress to support the president if we have to go in and orchestrate a regime change militarily, a significantly majority vote.</s>KING: A Democratic House member touring Iraq accuses the president of exaggerating the threat to justify war.</s>REP. JIM MCDERMOTT (D), WASHINGTON: The president of the United States has tried everything that he can think of to tie Iraq to al Qaeda and has failed. There is no evidence.</s>KING: An angry retort from the Senate's top Republican.</s>SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MINORITY LEADER: For him to be in Baghdad, the center of one of the most dangerous dictators in the world with all kinds of weapons of mass destruction, to be questioning the veracity of our own American president is the height of irresponsible. He needs to come home and keep his mouth shut.</s>KING: Iran' president welcomed Iraq's foreign minister, former enemies now united in opposing the Bush administration's call for a tough new United Nations resolution. Key Security Council members Russia, China, and France favor sending weapons inspectors into Iraq first and debating possible military action only if Baghdad interferes. But Washington's top ally in the debate remains optimistic.</s>TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The most important thing if we want to avoid a conflict is to maintain the maximum pressure on Saddam and the Iraqi regime. Now, I think the sensible thing, therefore, is to get the resolution but to make it clear to Saddam there is no way of avoiding disarmament.</s>KING: Baghdad says it will not accept the demands being pushed by Washington and London. (on camera): White House aides say Iraq's response is both predictable and unacceptable and say it only reinforces the president's view that Saddam Hussein must have something to hide. John King, CNN, Crawford, Texas.