It's obvious to us, but apparently it's not so obvious to the Democrats we've been voting for all these years:
it's okay to change your mind on Iraq.
Even if you hedged on pullout in 2005, supported the war in 2004, voted for the war in 2003, or said mean things about Saddam and him WMD in 2002, you can call for a pull out now.
You can do it, I promise. Here's how:
In the run-up and aftermath of the war, we were told Iraq had "weapons of mass destruction." We were told that the war would be cheap and quick. We were told that the Iraqis would welcome us with open arms and flowers and candies and oil revenue. We were told that democracy would flourish, that each election was a turning point, that their security forces would "stand up" any day now.
We were told a lot of things - none of which ever happened. And this is why you can change your mind.
With this disconnect between their promises and today's reality --
which clearly can be blamed on Bush, Rummy, and the rest of the incompetents running this country(
i.e., not Democrats) -- you Democratic leaders can now say "Enough is enough!" You can change your mind because your previous opinion was based on the lies (or "miscalculations" if that is easier to stomach) of Team Cheney. Now, it's obvious we shouldn't be there. With the polls overwhelmingly shifting away from support for Bush and the war, you have nothing to fear from the electorate. In fact, just as their support crumbled as things went from fantasyland to hell hole, your opinion can also change.
Indeed, if you don't change your mind, you are being as stubborn as Mr. Bush. And voters aren't very happy with Mr. Bush right now.
Anyway, I hate to have to lecture you about the obvious. But it's time to call for a pull out. Hell, Newt Gingrich has already done so. Had John Kerry made this obvious move - "I voted for the war because I was lied to by the guy at the other podium" - he'd be President right now. Isn't it finally time for our Democratic leaders to get behind Rep. Murtha and call for a pull out? I mean, even if it's not "immediate" - some sort of measured pull out, some sort of "horizon" force, some sort of call to the U.N. or Arab countries to take over, something, anything other than the complete nuanced B.S. over "how the war was managed" and obstinate fear over being "weak on terror."
These are horrible and scary times. American and the world needs strong and true leaders. We are waiting.