WASHINGTON, April 10: Leaders of the opposition Democratic Party on Tuesday turned down an invitation from US President George W. Bush to discuss the Iraq situation with them at the White House.

“The president is inviting us down to the White House with preconditions,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, told reporters. “That’s not negotiating.”

Mr Reid, who consulted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another Democrat, before responding to the White House invitation, said Mr Bush wanted lawmakers to endorse his war bills without conditions.

He said Mr Bush was used to the previous, Republican-dominated, “rubber-stamp” Congress that approved everything he sought, but things have changed since Democrats took over control in last November’s elections.

“We are an independent branch of this government, and by our Constitution we have equal say that he has,” Mr Reid stated. “And he’s got to listen to us. Because we are speaking for the American people; he isn’t.”

President Bush invited congressional leaders to the White House next week to talk about legislation to pay for the war in Iraq,

“We are at war,” said Mr Bush in a speech at an American Legion post about 20 miles from the White House. “It is irresponsible for the Democratic leadership in Congress to delay for months on end while our troops in combat are waiting for the funds they need to succeed.”

But Mr Bush also said that he expects the lawmakers who come to the White House meeting to drop their demand for setting a timetable for withdrawing US forces from Iraq, a condition not acceptable to the Democrats.

“The clock is ticking for our troops in the field,” he said. Without quick action by Congress, he said, the military would within months be forced to redirect funds from training and repair work to pay for the war.

Mr Bush said that if Congress does not provide the funds he seeks for the war, some forces already in Iraq would see their missions extended and others would see their time at home shortened before being sent back as there would be no funds to train fresh troops.

The Senate and House have each approved measures that would give the administration about $103 billion in new money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But they also have set timelines for withdrawing US troops from Iraq.

Mr Bush has repeatedly said he would veto legislation that cut off money to pursue the wars, and although Democrats hold majorities in both houses, their margin is too slim to provide sufficient votes to override a veto.

The Senate bill sets a nonbinding target of all combat troops withdrawn by March 31, while the House bill sets a deadline of Aug 31, for complete withdrawal. Democratic leaders in both chambers are negotiating a compromise version to send back to each chamber for final passage.