From CNN.com

 

Al-Maliki is set to address a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday after making his first visit to the White House and meeting privately with President Bush on Tuesday.

 

Last week, al-Maliki said that Iraq was urging the international community "to take a quick and firm stance to stop this aggression against Lebanon, to stop the killing of innocent people and to stop the destruction of infrastructure."

 

"What is happening is an operation of mass destruction and mass punishment and an operation using great force that Israel has -- and Lebanon does not," he said.

 

The crisis began July 12 after Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers during a cross-border raid into Israel. Since then, Israeli artillery and warplanes have been pounding Lebanon in their mission to destroy suspected Hezbollah hideouts, and Hezbollah has kept up a volley of rockets into Israel. (Full story)

 

In a letter to al-Maliki, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois and Sen. Charles Schumer of New York called the Iraqi leader's comments troubling.

 

"Your failure to condemn Hezbollah's aggression and recognize Israel's right to defend itself raise serious questions about whether Iraq under your leadership can play a constructive role in resolving the current crisis and bringing stability to the Middle East," the letter said.

 

The senators said some Democrats are considering boycotting al-Maliki's speech before Congress.

 

"I want the prime minister to denounce what Hezbollah has done," Reid said at a news briefing. "I will lose a lot of confidence in al-Maliki if he does not denounce what Hezbollah has done."

 

Emmanuel with the same sentiments(also from CNN)...

 

In the House of Representatives, Rep. Rahm Emmanuel of Illinois and two other Democrats are asking colleagues to sign a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, urging him to "cancel the address."

 

"With evidence mounting that the Iraqi leadership's goals are not in the best interests of the United States -- nor the Middle East -- Prime Minister [al-]Maliki's address is inappropriate," the letter said. "We are unaware of any prior instance where a world leader who actively worked against the interests of the United States was afforded such an honor."

 

In a statement, a Hastert spokesman called the Democratic moves "political gamesmanship during an election year."

Interesting move by the dems. to side with Israel on this one. Just as many ppl on the board have said about bush's political moves, this is a good political move by the Dems not only to further critcize the rebuilding of Iraq, but also to gain support among pro-Israeli factions in the US. Well played Chuck