I've honestly been very confused about the debate over Iraq, and much of my time has also been taken up with the Fox News scuffle over the past three weeks. Fox News was a fun fight, fun because it was so clean-cut. The objectives were clear, and what victory meant was clear.
Iraq is different. It's huge. It's the problem. Inside the House, the situation is very fluid, and Democratic capacity to effectively communicate is poor. The Senate has actually staked out a much better bill on Iraq than the House, requiring the withdrawal to start in four months as opposed to one year, but that doesn't really matter. And the progressives are being pretty unstrategic and obnoxious, though that doesn't really matter either. The Blue Dogs, as usual, suck, though that too doesn't really matter.
If you're looking at it from the inside, all you see if bleakness. It's unlikely that we'll be able to get a bill through the House, and through a Senate filibuster, and through a White House veto, and past a constitutional crisis. Right? The votes aren't there. They just aren't.
Except, of course, that Americans hate George Bush, and Americans hate this war. Let me repeat that for good measure - the public hates George Bush and hates the Iraq war. In addition, Bush will accept no conditions on his management of Iraq. Period. And that means that any bill with any restrictions on it is as good as a bill that mandates a full withdrawal. The point here is to get to Bush saying flat-out that he will not obey the law, and will not obey Congressional authority. He doesn't believe he has to, and he won't consent to restrictions on his power. And this will bring the real test.
And if the debate is drawn out, and Democrats unify, the GOP will fold. Because, once again, the public hates George Bush, and the public hates this war. And that means that people like Mitch McConnell will face brutal losses and low approval ratings heading into a major election year, and like all politicians, their instinct for self-preservation will take over.
The point of this Iraq debate is not to get the perfect bill, or even a good bill. It's to get any bill that restricts Bush and helps move us closer to ending the war. Because that will bring the public into the fight, and keep in mind, the public hates George Bush, and the public hates this war.
UPDATE: I'm not exactly sure what McJoan's point is in opposing an attempt for a compromise piece of legislation that restricts Bush's ability to wage war in Iraq. I'm one of the first people to scream that Democrats are betraying their ideals and need to be brought into line. But I don't get it this time, as I just don't get the strategic endgame that the progressive caucus has in mind.
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