G.O.P. Senators Lug Weight of War Toward '08

By JEFF ZELENY
New York Times

NORTH CONWAY, N.H., March 24 — Senator John E. Sununu knows that his political future could hinge on the war in Iraq, try as he might to change the subject.

For weeks, Mr. Sununu and Republican colleagues who face re-election next year have trudged through an on-again, off-again Iraq debate in Congress. So the annual Lincoln Day Dinner that he attended here Saturday evening, with its friendly audience, might have been expected to offer a respite from the realities of Washington.

But even among the ladies and gentlemen of the Carroll County Republican Committee, more than a few of whom wore elephant neckties and broaches to celebrate the symbol of their party, the vexing issue of Iraq was the real elephant in the room.

“Nobody is happy with the way the war is going,” said Richard Hickey, a certified public accountant and loyal Republican who attended the event. “It was a Republican project, so my guess is that he’s in trouble. Senator Sununu has been such a big supporter of George W. Bush, the Democrats will take a good shot at him.”

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