WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 — One of the strongest Democratic supporters of the invasion of Iraq joined the growing offensive against the administration's postwar planning today, demanding that President Bush fire his defense leadership team.

The Democrat, Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, a decorated Vietnam veteran, said that he had been misled into voting for the war by incorrect information from top administration officials and that the president had also been misled.

"You can't fire the president unless you're in California," Mr. Murtha said. "But somebody recommended this policy to him, and he took the recommendation. Somebody has to be held responsible, and he's got to make the decision who it was."

Mr. Murtha was joined in his call for high-level resignations by Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader.

Democrats around Capitol Hill made it clear today that they intended to step up their aggressive criticism of Bush policies in Iraq.

Senate Democrats challenged Vice President Dick Cheney's recent assertion that he had severed all his ties to his former employer, the Halliburton Company, which has received more than $1 billion in federal contracts to rebuild Iraq's oil fields and provide services to the military. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey said Mr. Cheney's current financial disclosure form showed his holding 433,333 Halliburton stock options and continuing to receive deferred compensation.

"If you ask everyday Americans if someone has a financial interest in a company that pays them annual compensation, I am sure the answer would be universally yes," Mr. Lautenberg said on the Senate floor.

Mr. Lautenberg, joined by the Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle, called on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee to hold hearings on the administration's contracts with Halliburton for Iraq, particularly those that were granted without competitive bidding.

Mr. Cheney said on the NBC program "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he had severed all financial ties to the company where he served as chief executive until 2000. "I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind and haven't had now for over three years," he said.

Catherine Martin, Mr. Cheney's spokeswoman, acknowledged that he would receive about $150,000 a year in deferred compensation from Halliburton through 2005 but said the amount was not tied to the company's fortunes in any way. The vice president bought an insurance policy to cover the compensation before he took office, Ms. Martin said, guaranteeing him the full amount even if the company went bankrupt.

The stock options have been assigned to a charitable trust that controls them and receives all benefits from them, Ms. Martin said. Even after Mr. Cheney leaves office, she said, he will not be able to reclaim the options and cannot take a tax deduction for them.

Mr. Murtha is regarded by both parties as a respected voice on military matters. Citing poor supplies and support for the troops, he said he favored quick approval of the $87 billion Mr. Bush requested for Iraq but said the leaders needed to be replaced. He did not specify which.

Responding to the criticism, the House Republican leader, Tom DeLay, said nothing seemed to be good enough for the Democrats. But he seemed to acknowledge some of the validity of the comments by adding that the administration had at least corrected its mistakes in Iraq.

"Obviously there's going to be mistakes here and there, and I'm very impressed with when they make a mistake they quickly correct it and move on," Mr. DeLay said, not explaining what the mistakes were.

Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company

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