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Dems’ 'Real Big Problem'
The Hill ^ | 8/3/07 | Byron York

Posted on 08/03/2007 9:18:21 AM PDT by bnelson44

The Iraq debate that we’ve been watching this year has been about two bets.

After false starts and misplaced hopes in 2004, and 2005, and 2006, George W. Bush is betting his surge strategy will facilitate the political progress that could bring a semblance of stability to Iraq.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are betting the surge will fail. It’s as simple as that. If Bush wins his bet, Iraq will be a better place, the Middle East will be a better place, and America will be a safer place.

But Reid and Pelosi lose if Bush wins. Given the position they have staked out for themselves, the best possible outcome is for Gen. David Petraeus to give a downbeat report on the surge when he comes before Congress in September. That would give tremendous momentum to those who want the quickest possible U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

It’s the dilemma of being in the opposition in wartime. By betting so much of their political capital on the issue, Reid and Pelosi have become invested in U.S. failure. A U.S. success would throw a wrench in their plans.

That sounds harsh. But just read what Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told The Washington Post.

This week the paper reported that many Democrats “have anticipated that, at best, Petraeus and U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker would present a mixed analysis of the success of the current troop surge strategy, given continued violence in Baghdad.” But now, the Post continued, “there have been signs that the commander of U.S. forces might be preparing something more generally positive.”

And that, Clyburn told the paper, would be “a real big problem for us.”

Clyburn’s comments are the flip side of what Reid said in April when he declared, “We’re going to pick up Senate seats as a result of this war. Sen. [Charles] Schumer has shown me numbers that are compelling and astounding.”

Schumer (D-N.Y.) also said, “Look at the poll numbers of Republican senators, and the war in Iraq is a lead weight attached to their ankle.” As a result, Schumer predicted, some Republicans face “extinction” while Democrats pick up more seats. American success in Iraq could mess all of that up.

It’s a terrible position for Democrats to be in, one they could have avoided if they had given the surge time to succeed or fail. But they put all their chips on failure before it even began.

That’s why we have seen such frenzied criticism of what is probably the most debated op-ed of the year, this week’s article in The New York Times entitled “A War We Just Might Win,” by Michael O’Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack.

The authors, both with the Brookings Institution, were early proponents of the war and later critics of Bush’s handling of it. Now, they write, “We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms,” and they see the possibility of “a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.”

They might be wrong; in the fifth year of this war, anyone who is not deeply skeptical about reports of progress just isn’t being realistic. And even if the surge is working, war supporters can be rightly furious at Bush for not doing it years ago. But at least they aren’t betting on — haven’t staked their hopes on — American failure.

Who would want to do that?


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bush; byronyork; iraq; iraqsurge; kennethpollack; michaelohanlon; notjustoneproblem; pelosi; reid; whichone
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To: Wil H

Well put. Beat me to it.


21 posted on 08/03/2007 10:05:53 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Profile updated Thursday, August 2, 2007. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Fred Nerks; KlueLass; LucyT; ..
Thanks for the ping Ernest.
...Reid and Pelosi lose if Bush wins. Given the position they have staked out for themselves, the best possible outcome is for Gen. David Petraeus to give a downbeat report on the surge when he comes before Congress in September. That would give tremendous momentum to those who want the quickest possible U.S. withdrawal from Iraq... By betting so much of their political capital on the issue, Reid and Pelosi have become invested in U.S. failure. A U.S. success would throw a wrench in their plans. That sounds harsh. But just read what Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told The Washington Post... the Post continued, "there have been signs that the commander of U.S. forces might be preparing something more generally positive." And that, Clyburn told the paper, would be "a real big problem for us." ...[NY Senator Charles Schumer] predicted, some Republicans face "extinction" while Democrats pick up more seats. American success in Iraq could mess all of that up. It's a terrible position for Democrats to be in, one they could have avoided if they had given the surge time to succeed or fail. But they put all their chips on failure before it even began... even if the surge is working, war supporters can be rightly furious at Bush for not doing it years ago. But at least they aren't betting on -- haven't staked their hopes on -- American failure. Who would want to do that?

22 posted on 08/03/2007 10:12:46 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Profile updated Thursday, August 2, 2007. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: bnelson44

bump


23 posted on 08/03/2007 10:14:05 AM PDT by Christian4Bush ("Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech." Hold a hearing on that.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

As our gardener would say “Muchos gracias.”


24 posted on 08/03/2007 10:14:27 AM PDT by GFritsch ('All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved'." -)
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mentioned above:

A War We Just Might Win
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1873493/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1873593/posts

discussion thereof:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1873818/posts

related:

Poll: American Support for War Inches Up
(Rats,”stop the surge, it’s working and we might win”)
nytimes | 7/23/2007 | Megan Thee
Posted on 07/23/2007 4:09:44 PM EDT by tobyhill
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1870400/posts

Now we Know why Kosovo War was ‘Just’ and Iraq Isn’t
Political Mavens | 16 May 2007 | Julia Gorin
Posted on 05/16/2007 9:21:21 AM EDT by radar101
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1834418/posts


25 posted on 08/03/2007 10:18:49 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Profile updated Thursday, August 2, 2007. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: knyteflyte3

Donkeys Upended!

I love that pic.


26 posted on 08/03/2007 10:43:16 AM PDT by WOSG ( Don't tell me what you are against, tell me what you are FOR.)
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To: NRA1776

He could kiss my butt.


27 posted on 08/03/2007 10:43:40 AM PDT by wastedyears (Freedom is the right of all sentient beings - Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime)
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To: bnelson44
Too much political correctness in this article. This goes to tell you that the D.C media, even those on our side, are so careful not to offend the democrats by calling them what they really are: TRAITORS.
28 posted on 08/03/2007 11:06:55 AM PDT by jveritas (God bless our brave troops and President Bush.)
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To: I see my hands; vimto
This cartoonist had it perfectly right:
29 posted on 08/03/2007 11:09:19 AM PDT by MHGinTN (You've had life support. Promote life support for those in the womb.)
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To: HitmanLV

What is you solution Mr. Gloom and Doom?


30 posted on 08/03/2007 11:11:20 AM PDT by jveritas (God bless our brave troops and President Bush.)
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To: jveritas

I’m not gloom & doom, just trying to be clear minded.

As of now, I think it’s possible that the dems make strong gains no matter who the GOP nominee is. I don’t have a solution.


31 posted on 08/03/2007 11:12:28 AM PDT by HitmanLV ("Lord, give me chastity and temperance, but not now." - St. Augustine)
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To: HitmanLV

I am sure that you are hoping very much that this scenario happens.


32 posted on 08/03/2007 11:12:52 AM PDT by jveritas (God bless our brave troops and President Bush.)
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To: jveritas

Why? I’ve been a conservative since age 12 and a GOPer since age 18.

I try to make my observations are divorced from my hopes, as best I can.


33 posted on 08/03/2007 11:14:01 AM PDT by HitmanLV ("Lord, give me chastity and temperance, but not now." - St. Augustine)
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To: HitmanLV
You are not clear minded you just too pessimistic but you delude yourself that you are a realist.

Tell me again why would the American people elect the rudest, meanest, most uncharismatic, and most fake person for President? I mean Hillary Clinton. Your problem is that you complicate things more than it is, the American people will not elect for President a very nasty and mean woman like Hillary Clinton, just her incredibly annoying voice and the mean gestures of her face is enough to turn off the majority of voters away from her let alone that she is a communist and dwarfs John Kerry in flip flops. Neither her nor the media can do anything about this no matter how hard they try.

34 posted on 08/03/2007 11:18:09 AM PDT by jveritas (God bless our brave troops and President Bush.)
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To: HitmanLV
You are a bitter Buchananite style conservative who is rooting for American defeat so you can say” “I told you so”.
35 posted on 08/03/2007 11:19:19 AM PDT by jveritas (God bless our brave troops and President Bush.)
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To: jveritas
Tell me again why would the American people elect the rudest, meanest, most uncharismatic, and most fake person for President?

They elected LBJ didn't they? A mean, uncharismatic man. And he was elected in a landslide in better times.

The Clinton brand is strong. Hilly benefits from that. If the nation could elect Bill again, they would in a landslide. She benefits from the brand.

36 posted on 08/03/2007 11:23:22 AM PDT by HitmanLV ("Lord, give me chastity and temperance, but not now." - St. Augustine)
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To: bnelson44
Who would want to do that?

The enemy within, the domestic enemy AND their enablers who prop them up.

37 posted on 08/03/2007 11:25:03 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: jveritas

I have never voted for Pat Buchanan nor ever identified with him. You make this stuff up.

On a scale of -100 (loopy liberal) to 0 (moderate) to +100 (cocopuff conservative), I am about a +70-75. On FR, that makes me a ‘liberal,’ not a Buchanan fan. Actually, that shows just how skewed the conventional wisdom and perspective is on FR.


38 posted on 08/03/2007 11:25:30 AM PDT by HitmanLV ("Lord, give me chastity and temperance, but not now." - St. Augustine)
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To: bnelson44

The donkey party frequently works toward US weakness and defeat - this began with Vietnam and has been most evident in the Carter-Mondale fraud, the Clintonistas, and the current Demagogues in Congress. Heaven forbid that anyone should ever question their judgment, never mind their patriotism...... no wonder they are always squealing and wailing at the least hint of criticism.

Most of them do sincerely believe that a “multi-lateral” world in which the USA plays a weaker role and has to depend much more heavily upon the UN, EU, Russia and China, Islamo-fascists, etc. is for the better. They admit this and even argue for it when they are together at party meetings, academic conferences, etc. George Soros epitomizes their mindset when he longs for the end of this “bubble of American supremacy” as he calls it.

Only problem for them is, in electoral terms, that is a massive loser if they are ever honest about it. A large majority of the US public would not willingly embrace US weakness.... so of course they try desperately to keep their real views out of the picture in electoral campaigns, etc. They are all dishonest frauds.


39 posted on 08/03/2007 11:34:31 AM PDT by Enchante (Reid and Pelosi Defeatocrats: Surrender Now - Peace for Our Time!!)
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Comment #40 Removed by Moderator


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