[Gilowero]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the way Tuesday as the Democratic-controlled House embarked on an extraordinary debate over the Iraq war, declaring that the public has decided that President Bush's policies "have not worked, will not work and must be changed."

A vote is expected by Friday on a nonbinding measure that opposes Bush's recent decision to increase the number of U.S. military personnel in Iraq while pledging support for the troops already there. (Read the text of the resolution -- PDF)

"Instead of engaging in personal and partisan attacks over the next three days, we must focus on this question: How is the violence in Iraq most likely to be lessened so that our troops can come home safely and soon?" Pelosi, D-California, said in excerpts of her remarks released by her office.

"The president's plan is based on a judgment that the way out of Iraq lies in sending more troops in. History has proven just the opposite. Four previous troop escalations have resulted primarily in escalating levels of violence," she said.

Democrats expressed confidence the measure would prevail and said they would attempt to use it as the opening move in a campaign to pressure Bush to change course and end U.S. military involvement in the war. More than 3,100 U.S. troops have died in nearly four years of fighting.

Republicans conceded that the measure was headed for approval and said a few dozen members of the GOP were likely to break ranks and vote for it.

In a reversal, Pelosi and the Democratic leadership decided Monday night not to give Republicans a chance to propose an alternative measure -- a move that drew protests from Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the GOP leader.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/....ap/index.html For those with short memories, this is what Nancy Pelosi herself said the American people wanted from Congress:

"And the American people told us they expected us to work together for fiscal responsibility, with the highest ethical standards and with civility and bipartisanship.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...AG5ANCTQ27.DTL A month and a half later, we see what she was talking about - her genuine commitment to what she believed that we, the people, want in the House.

Yes, this echoes what the Republicans did as a majority. It was wrong then.

It is wrong now.

Somehow, though, I doubt that some of the people who were up in arms about this sort of conduct under Hastert will say a word about it now.

Matt