Atrios is, as usual, a bit harsh, but I can't say I really disagree with him on Iraq:
I wish we would abandon this "plan" frame. It's a mess, there's no good "plan." There's just a decision about how many people have to die because the president is too petty and too stupid to find a way to declare victory and go home.The Republicans' plan is more of the same. That's it. That's all they have, that's all they've been saying. It looks like they just want to stay there forever. So why aren't Democrats saying "Look, the Republicans got us into this war, they screwed it up, now 2500 Americans are dead and a lot more injured, the insurgency is not going away. And their plan is to not change anything, as if everything is going great? Let's cut our losses, get those kids home and spend the money we'll save on more important things."
2 comments:
You're missing the point, Bell Curve. There are only two options, according to Every Republican: 1) Support the President; 2) Cut and Run and let Al Qaeda bomb your child's elementary school. So what's it gonna be, huh?
The problem is that going home for its own sake seems like quitting. Dems are starting to make the only point they can make, one which Dr. S made very forcefully here some months ago: without making our imminent departure real to the Iraqi 'government', they will never take responsibility for their own security or for the political compromises necessary. I mean, the country is falling apart, but the Iraqis couldn't put a government together for 6 months. Still not done appointing all the ministers, like defense! That's what happens when the internal pressure is greater than the external pressure. Or, as has been said of academic feuds: the intensity and bitterness of any argument are usually inversely proportional to its importance.
// posted by LTG
The president's drop in last week was a stunt that didn't help. He undercut the authority of the Iraqi president by showing that he could and would arrive unannounced. The Iraqi president has to distance himself from the appearence of being an American lackey. Bush's grip and grin didn't help.
// posted by UNWest
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