Now as the US Midterm election has granted the Democratic Party the control of both the Senate and House of Representatives, US president George W. Bush is seeking cooperation from his democratic opponents. But the two sides’ sharply different positions on Iraq, remains a huge challenge for such cooperation. CRI Washington Correspondent Liu Wei reports.
 The mid term election is s complete success for the Democrats, who seized 51 seats in the 100 seat senate and more than half of the 435 seats in the House. Now that the election has concluded, the problem for Bush is how to work with a congress dominated by the democrats who are against his policy in Iraq.
On Thursday, at a press conference in the White House, Bush sought reconciliation with the democrats by saying he’s open to any idea and suggestions about Iraq.
"One of the most important challenges facing our country is the war on terror, and Iraq is the central front of this war. Our country now has more than 149,000 men and women serving bravely in that country. Whatever party we come from, we all have a responsibility to ensure that these troops have enough resources and support they need to prevail. I'm open to any idea and suggestion that will help us achieve our goals and defeating the terrorists, and assuring that Iraq's democratic government succeeds."
But Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker-to-be of the US House, is strongly demanding a change of US policy in Iraq.
"We want to work together in a bipartisan way, to send a clear message to the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people that they must disarm the militias, they must amend their constitution and must engaged in regional diplomacy to bring stability and reconstruction to Iraq, and that we must begin the responsible process to redeploy our troops outside of Iraq."
Ever since Tuesday's elections, Bush and Pelosi have been pledging to find common ground in Washington.
Bush signaled readiness to consider Democratic priorities such as a federal minimum-wage increase and to find compromise on renewing the No Child Left Behind education law, overhauling immigration policy and overhauling budget-busting entitlement programs.
Yet the two sides remain bitterly divided over Iraq.
Liu Wei, CRI News, Washington.
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