"Vilsack Chides Obama for Not Pushing Immediate End to U.S.Fighting in Iraq"

ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports:

Sen. Barack Obama's, D-Ill., "out by March of '08" Iraq war position came under criticism Thursday from a Democratic presidential rival who argued that Congress has a "moral responsibility" to immediately cut off funding for U.S. fighting.

Congress has a responsibility to get the U.S. out of Iraq, said former Gov. Tom Vilsack, D-Iowa, "not in March of 2008 -- but now."

Vilsack said that if Congress does not immediately act to cut off funding, the Bush administration will send more troops to Iraq and more Americans will risk dying.

Obama has introduced legislation in the Senate which sets the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by Mar. 31, 2008.

After his Chicago homecoming rally was disrupted earlier this week by protestors holding a sign that read "cut the funding," Obama said: "We need to bring this war to an end but we need to do it in a way that makes our troops safe."

Vilsack offered his criticism of Obama’s Iraq position on a conference call with reporters after taping an appearance on NBC’s "Tonight Show with Jay Leno."