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Edwards Defends Vote Against $87 Billion For Iraq

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WASHINGTON — Senator John Edwards said that his voteagainst President Bush's request for an additional $87 billion to support U.S. troops in Iraq and rebuilding the country wasn't just for show.

During a Sunday news program, the Democratic candidate for president said his vote was meant to tell the Bush administration that its policy of going it alone in Iraq wasn't working and needed to be changed.

Edwards said he would have voted that way even if the measure's passage depended on him. He says that scenario would have brought administration officials back to Congress with a more detailed plan for Iraq's future.

He also said the Senate could have then forced them to involve other nations in a broader international effort.

Edwards said, "I did what I believed needed to be done to change this administration's policy in Iraq."

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