If you go to Pelosi's minority leader site, for instance, the Iraq page is truly embarrassing - doesn't look as if it's been updated in six months.

The beef is in two grafs:

Democrats want to move us in a new direction - ensuring that 2006 is a year of significant transition with Iraqis assuming responsibility for their country and with the responsible redeployment of U.S. forces.

There are only two directions to take in Iraq: Bush's plan of staying the course to let a future President to sweep up after, or the Murtha plan to change the direction of that course.  Rep. Pelosi has joined with Rep. Murtha in calling for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq to make our country safer, our military stronger, and the region more stable.  

Now, given that there are zero legislative days (and 14 calendar days) left in 2006, the promise in the first graf is a tad empty.

And - I'm far from clear that the Murtha plan (as per H J Res 73) is the agreed policy of the leaderships. (H J Res 73 has accrued the grand total of 106 cosponsors - in Pelosi's own house.)

I can't trace any equivalent measure introduced in the Senate.

The section on Iraq in the long New Direction (page 6) refers to the responsible redeployment of US forces. Something rather less than the Murtha plan, as I read it.

I'm not clear about the mechanisms that have been used for coordination of Dem Iraq policy formulation and presentation: there is, for instance, such a thing as the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee (chaired by Hillary in the 109th).

But my sense from the description on the Committee's page is that it is not conceivably the vehicle for such a high-level, vital and continuous process as Iraq policy coordination.

(Perhaps that's wishful thinking on my part, though!)

Given that Iraq is the nation's #1 problem according to the voters who gave the Dems their majorities in November, Dem policy on the matter should be receiving corresponding priority.

My impression is that it is not.

Congressional strategy on Iraq in the 110th will undoubtedly be vital for the Dems to get right - particularly in the Senate. Yet already we have incoming SASC chairman Kennedy and SFRC chairman Biden - two guys one might have thought would be integral to the Dems' Iraq policy process - snappily dissenting from their leader on his surge proposal.

¿Qué pasa?