Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today rejected an invitation from President Bush to come to the White House to negotiate a war spending bill on the condition that it does not contain language calling for a withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Iraq by a certain date.

President Bush told an American Legion audience in Fairfax, Va., that he had invited congressional leaders of both parties to discuss a “clean” war spending bill.

“We can discuss the way forward on a bill that is a clean bill, a bill that funds our troops without artificial timetables for withdrawal and without handcuffing our generals on the ground,” the president said.

But Reid, D-Nev., said he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., agreed they would not go to any talks with a weakened hand.

“The president invited us down to the White House with pre-conditions,” Reid said. “That’s not negotiating.”

Democratic leaders are intent on sending the president legislation establishing an end to U.S. involvement in Iraq. Bush has vowed to veto the bill (HR 1591) because of its withdrawal language, strict guidelines for military commanders and billions in unrequested spending for mostly domestic programs.