In reading this article by the AP on CNN.com, I got the distinct impression that by following the will of the people, Democrats actually lost politically by passing the supplemental war budget. In other words, the AP's formula is Democrats + American people = Republican win.
The basic premise is that Democrats should be afraid of being accused of not supporting the troops. I think that Republicans should be afraid of being accused of not supporting the American people.
Follow me below.
The first paragraph that leaped out at me as questionable was this:
The standoff gives Republicans leverage, because even with the liberals' votes, Democrats don't have enough support to override Bush's veto. It will force Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, to seek more Republican help in drafting a new bill that Bush might accept, her allies and opponents say.
Funny, because according to this Gallup Poll, 57% think we should set a withdrawl, and according to an NBC/WSJ poll farther down, 57% think that Congress should set troop levels instead of President Bush. Another interesting tidbit from the Gallup Poll; when asked whether a person was very/somewhat reliable or not too/not at all reliable, President Bush's results were 50-49. Jimmy Carter, who isn't being briefed daily, scored 56-39, and Dick "I shoot my friends in the face, so what does that say about you?" Cheney got 46-53.
Also, according to the NBC poll, only 28% people think the Bush Administration is mostly accurate regarding the situation in Iraq. It's a crappy question though because the other options are 'not mostly accurate (as opposed to mostly not accurate)' and 'unsure' which got 61% and 10% respectively.
So personally, I think there are plenty of reasons to continue playing hardball with this spending bill with very few reasons (given by the media, Republicans, and Liebermanites) to make major concessions.
Oh, and how much do they mention that the poll data overwhelmingly favors Democrats?
Some Democrats believe the GOP solidarity will crack over time, noting that polls show heavy public support for a withdrawal plan.
Perhaps my favorite quote, which I've seen get plenty of press the last few days comes from Roy Blunt, and captures the Republican position perfectly: "Our members will not accept restraints on the military."
Of course this statement includes totally inappropriate and restrictive measures like having proper equipment and training which Democrats should be taking advantage of.
Personally, if I were in charge of Congress, I would make one change to the bill already passed. I would add that new units cannot be rotated into Iraq unless they are fully equipped and properly trained. Give President Bush a bill that is even more restrictive. Make it a separate bill for all I care, just as long as I make Republicans go on the record as opposing legislation to equip and train our troops.
Sorry this diary isn't very structured. I just finished a 6 hour class so my brain is a little shot, and CNN pissed me off again. Have at me in the comments.