Bush & Benchmarks ???

Say, it ain't so ....

This just came across my CNN news alert as I am entering devotions onto the student ministry web page ...

President Bush, under growing political pressure, said Thursday the White House will seek agreement with Congress on benchmarks to measure progress in Iraq.

At the same time, the president pledged he would veto a bill, expected to be passed by the House later in the day, that would cut of funding for the war by the end of July.

"We reject that idea. It won't work," the president said.

At the same time, Bush pressured Iraqi leaders to move swiftly on a number of measures that could be used as benchmarks, including legislation to share Iraq's oil wealth, hold provincial elections and update the constitution.

"They have got to speed up their clock," the president said. U.S. officials have urged Iraq's parliament to abandon plans to take a two-month vacation this summer.

Bush's willingness to put benchmarks in a war-funding bill represented a shift in position by the president.

"One message I have heard from people of both parties is that benchmarks make sense and I agree," Bush said. He said his chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, would talk with congressional leaders "to find common ground" on benchmarks.

WoW .. setting benchmarks ... what a concept