If Democratic passivity continues, we will own this war and incur the wrath of the public who have spoken and now demand a troop pullout, and come next year we will be in our own quagmire during campaign-election time. The public will turn on us for failing to exit this bastard war.
The fact that the United States Congress never voted to give presidential authority for war but merely an "OK" for Bush to invade IRAQ suggests at this moment some interesting possibilities.
The Iraq imbroglio has been a failure for quite some time and based, not only on false information, but lies. Yellowcake, mushroom clouds,chemical and nuclear weapons.
The purest of horse shit. Ah...and then...the cherry on the cake. Colin Powell's United Nations speech. The Roman seal.
My recommendation would be to pull funding completely for the war. The biggest problem are the Right's screams that pulling funding would endanger the troops. They have successfully "Swift boated" and pre-empted the Democrats into the fetal position. Lie down and pretend your dead. Apparently, Reid and Pelosi have not made any earnest effort, real or imaginary, to debunk this lie and clarify the reality of such a giant move.
Since, Bush never received War Powers Authority and only Congress can certify the prelude to war, then this is not a war but an occupation. Congress is not bound to prolong a bastard war built on lies. This is well and good but the clarification that cutting Iraq funding will not endanger the troops is not being made by Democrats or the leadership. If the troops are without supplies and funding, do you think the Army will send in one of their own? If the troops cant get any more crappy M-16's and shitty-worthless flak vests, do you think a general would risk the lives of his men and send them on patrol? Maybe if the General thinks like Bush and doesn't give a shit. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare unless he wants to feel the gigantic wrath of an outraged public back home and an equally pissed off US CONGRESS.
Pull all the troops into the Green Zone and close the gate. No more fighting. The Dems have been pre-empted by the Republicans on this lie and it has stuck. What infuriates me is the leadership is not considering debunking this because it appears that they prefer flacid deals with no troop pullout dates. Don't give Bush anything with definite troop pullouts. Or timetables or anything. The Democrats think that cutting funding is too politically risky and only because of the indentured servitude of the House and Senate leadership-incapable and inflexible.
They want votes and deals to line up like the constellations. They want to vacillate and wait for public opinion to turn as if a constant like the rotation of the earth. Tom Daschle merely handed off his lackluster and failed leadership to his twin, Harry Reid. Oversight and investigations do not count because these are actions that individual comittees explore and not ususally at the behest of the majority leader. Oversight on this corrupt administration was inevitable; a given. Otherwise the screams from the left would have been gargantuan. At least this aspect of government accountability seems to be working. Whether impeachment or ending the war, these two issues were the most paramopunt to last Novembers voters and Reid and Pelosi have stalled efforts for both. If ONE IS TO Believe that the tide will turn in September with Senat outrage from the riight, you would really be bullshitting yourselves. The bottom ljine is that REID AND PELOSI are really petrified to deal with this. Their game is to wait and build up their imaginary support against the war. They will never get the majority to end the war and most definitely, the votes for a veto overide. NEVER. It is not going to happen. After the really pathetic Iraq funding vote, puppets like Emanuel come out and say this is the beginning of the end for the Iraq war. He looked shakey and embarassed. My God, I was laughing and cursing this corporate turd as he put his best face forward on failure.
For 6 years, this admin has played ultimate hardball with the nation and the best the Democrats can come up to lead them are two bush league triangulators. I am not going to wait and be content with this pathetic leadership after 7 months of cowtowing and bending over.