Posted on 11/16/2005 12:54:25 PM PST by smoothsailing
November 16, 2005, 1:54 p.m.
Sunshine Senators
If the Bush administration is under any illusions about the sorry political state of the Iraq war, yesterday's Senate action should dispel them. A Democratic proposal for a timetable for withdrawal was beaten back 58-40, but Republicans passed their own version to force the administration to make quarterly progress reports to Congress and express its sense that 2006 should be the year when Iraqi security forces take the lead.
Substantively, this might not have been particularly objectionable, but politically it was calamitous. It continued the narrative of Bush losing even his own party on Iraq — which is how the headlines have played the vote — and showed that Republicans are afraid to have a fight with Democrats even on ground that should favor them.
The Democrats are ever more explicitly becoming the party of cut-and-run. Only five Democrats voted against setting a timetable for withdrawal. Rather than stand their ground and explain why an exit from Iraq before political and security conditions allow it would be folly, Republicans felt they needed the cover of their own weasely alternative. The letter of the GOP version isn't damaging. Congress already, after all, gets plenty of progress reports. There is a quarterly State Department report on reconstruction and the status of international cooperation; the Defense department provides a quarterly report called "Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq," State issues another 60-day report on strategic goals in Iraq, and progress toward meeting them; and there are many others. The secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs brief Congress in a classified setting about once a month, and the combatant commanders testify publicly on average once a quarter. As for Iraqi security forces taking over, that is already the goal around which American policy is oriented.
It is the spirit of the thing that is so damaging. It says that Democrats hold the whip hand on Iraq, and the insurgents' most important strategic center of gravity, Washington, is in danger of being lost. After 30 years straight of warning of another Vietnam, liberals might finally have the repeat of that war they have so often warned about. "American attitudes on Iraq similar to those in Vietnam," reads a front-page headline in Wednesday's edition of USA Today. Although the administration has finally begun to fight back against the charge that Bush lied the U.S. into the war, it is still not on the crisis political and communications footing that the moment demands. Iraq is a little like a Katrina every day, undermining the public's confidence in the administration's competence and stewardship of the country. There is no substitute for actual progress in Iraq — and we still aren't convinced that the U.S. government has the sense of urgency about achieving it that it should — but the argument for the war must be made constantly, with intelligence and rigor.
Here the administration continues to fall down. And it is here — in the political fight over Iraq — that the administration truly needs allies. Instead, like the "Sunshine Patriots" of yore, it has "Sunshine Senators" on its side. Only 13 Republicans — an honor roll including John McCain and Jon Kyl, and notably missing George Allen — voted against the GOP alternative. Most Republicans figure they are helping themselves when they, as so much of the media put it, "rebuke" Bush on the war.
They are really undermining a president and a war that they are, like it or not, tremendously invested in, and hastening their own exit strategy as a majority.
http://www.nationalreview.com/editorial/editors200511161354.asp
*ping*
Getting ready to betray our soldiers a'la Vietnam?
They should have just passed a law requiring everyone to spit on any soldiers that they encounter since that's what the senate is doing anyway.
Well Bush should have been making QUATERLY reports to the people as a war time leader
More substantively it might just mean that more and more citizens of the Republic find themselves sitting out the next couple of election cycles where as they would have been showing up and voting, even if with scant enthusiasm, for GOP candidates.
What difference does it make to put Republicans in office if they don't, on principle, represent those who sent them in the first place?
I know, at the moment, I am done.
My thoughts exactly.
The GOP, in general, SUCKS!
Bush never lost his party, he never had one. The Republicans in Congress arent a party, just a spineless pack of professional politicians. they wont be there much longer IMO. Not because of George Bush , but because they dont fly under their true colors. American Republicans worked hard to get them in control of the Congress and they go off running around like chickens with their heads cut off. No leadership ,stabbing constituents in the back, and mainly not standing up for the man we elected President. I am ashamed of 90% of the Republicans
Look, we only have one card left in the deck, and that is GW Bush. Just as 911 transformed him, he must now take on both the Democrat (including Bill Clinton) and Republican Parties who are actively aiding and abetting the enemies of America and her people. He's only chance is to inform the American people every day what they will face if the Democrat "traitor" Party has its will. I fear, however, he is not up to the task. The war, and with it, America, is lost. Get ready for wholesale slaughter of American innocents. Bin Laden has won!!! He was right, he was always right!!! America will cut and run, and, as such will open herself up for the appproaching storm of Islamic slaughter of the American people. Well, it was nice while it lasted!!! However, I, for one, will not go quietly into the night!!!
from my vantage points this means one thing.
Let the Senate Republican Majority fall. Vote only for those that stood tall against the amendment. Keep the House Majority ONLY to protect the President from a political witchhunt, and so the troops in the field relatively remain safe. But the Senate must fall.
I understand that there are already 28 reports per year from the departments of state and defense to the congress on the effort in Iraq.
This will provide one more opportunity for anti-administration forces to misquote, leak, obstruct, denigrate, demagogue, etc.
This is NOT what we envisioned after all of the work done at the grass roots level this past decade.
Wouldn't be all that bad for serious voters to get a one-year glimpse/reminder of politics under Democrat control, i.e. 2007, in time for 2008.
This article is correct to point out that the Senate is getting more damn reports than it probably bothers to read.It wastes the time of our miltary leaders with grandstanding hearings all the time.
I have followed our miltary's efforts very closely and they are accomplishing wonders in Iraq.I am proud of each and every one of our citizens who serves.
The bone-headed self-serving Republican senators should have DEMANDED A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE for our troops, our CIC, and the Iraqi people.
What spineless cowards.
I maintain my faith in the President and our military to see the job through, but if these weasels in the R party don't get their collective heads out of their collective butts, the job just gets that much tougher.
It was my decision originally to let the House fall, but I can't do it. Not for those in the House that do not deserve Majority. For the President and for our troops. Impeachment starts in the House. Our President will not withdraw the troops or abandon them. Keeping the House keeps practically the only power that will stand by their side (G.W.B.) in place. So, the House Majority must stay.
Senate can fall.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
For some reason I haven't received a reply to the email I sent to Senatewhore Allard R-balless, yet, about his vote in favor.
GOP in Congress = gutless wonders. If I wasn't so against Democratic Party platforms, or Democrats in general, I wouldn't vote for another Republican running for Congress!
The problem is that everything in the country is great, and the Iraq war is just about won.
If the democrats take over in 2006, all they need to do is NOTHING. The MSM will suddenly find all the good news they missed, and it will look like the democrats saved us from disaster.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.