Here is my suggestion for a Democratic strategy in Iraq. I know it is over the top in many ways, but I think it would be supported by more people than anyone might believe, and could lead to a lot of votes in 2006.
Strategy for Iraq 8-17-05
1. Present leadership in Washington is incompetent and cannot be trusted to further prosecute the present conflict.
2. President Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached and removed from office.
3. The US congress should declare war against those terrorists that want to kill Americans (Al Qaeda, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, etc.); and then actually fund the war and provide adequate resources and troops to assure victory is inevitable.
4. If Congress does not declare war, the US should withdrawal from Iraq.
I often hear the comment "we are at war". Looking at the constitution of the United States, I see that it is congress alone that has the power to declare war. I understand times have changed and we need the president to be able to order a rapid and total response to a sudden attack, but the preemptive war in Iraq is such a case where Congress really should have the power.
History shows that is it not possible to wage a war and build up a society at the same time. The war must be prosecuted fully and completely until total victory is won. Then the process of rebuilding and creating a new society can begin. We cannot have a strategy where we use Iraq as a place to be "killing them there instead of here" and " establishing a democracy, reforming the region, building a new Iraq" at the same time. The 2 are mutually exclusive.
America leaders used to understand this concept; total war first, then generosity in peace. See Grant and Lincoln's attitude after the defeat of the confederate armies, or the US policy towards Japan and Germany after the WWII. Both of these actions came after total victory, and remember it is the conservatives who remind us this current struggle is in the same level of threat as those conflicts.
We owe it to the troops fighting on our behalf to either send them to fight to total victory, or bring them home. The removal of the president and declaration of war by congress is the best strategy to win the war; it is time to allow the military professionals to have complete control of the mission or end it.