The president's pyrrhic victory
I can understand why the anti-war left is angry at the Democrats for not holding firm on the war funding bill, and sending President Bush a no-strings-attached supplemental. But they need to chill. This victory is the last one the president will have. Gen. Petraeus makes his report to Congress in September, and not even Bush and SecDef Gates expect it to be good. Meanwhile, many Senate Republicans have signaled that September is the end of the road for them on trusting the president to get the war right.
And the public mood on the war is tanking, according to today's CBS News/NYTimes poll. Consider that opposition to the war has never been higher than now. Three out of four Americans, including a majority of Republicans, believe the surge has been a bust. Some 63 percent of Americans want a timetable for withdrawal -- the very issue on which the president defeated the Dems this week. For the first time ever, more Americans trust the Democrats to make the right decisions about Iraq than trust Republicans. And in another blow to the GOP in advance of the 2008 election:
More Americans — 72 percent — now say that “generally, things in the country are seriously off on the wrong track” than at any time since the Times/CBS News poll began asking the question in 1983.
So with all this, why'd the Democrats cave on timetables? Because the overwhelming majority of Americans still favor funding the war. I don't agree with that, but you have to recognize that the Democrats really are where the American people are. I believe Dems correctly judged that if they didn't fund the troops through the summer, they'd get the blame for it. It's bad that we're going to have more US soldiers die in this thing before we start to wind it down this fall, but it
will start to wind down this fall, and the Dems will have the wind at their back.
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I agree with Bug; we need to seal the border. I have no doubt that they are going to hit us again, and I bet that it will be worse than 9/11. I'm sorry to say this, but if you read up about it, this is the conclusion from the experts in the field.
"No wonder they want us out, particularly when there seems to be no letup in either violence or severe privation. Cleveland: what would you suggest the president do?" MER They DO NOT want us out, MER. You must be the only person in the world who believes that (assuming you do believe it). The Islamo-fascists want us out so they can replace their lost base (Afghanistan), and consolidate it with Iran and Syria; complete with oil--a deep pocket for continued mayhem--and a strategic location to cut off our oil supplies. That would mean ALL OUT WAR, MER, SO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. Of course, the Homosocialist Party also wants us out, just so they can say "See, Bush lost the war. Look at the mess he left us--no peace with the Islamo-fascists, no more cheap oil, and nuclear bombs! What do you expect us poor Democrats to do about it?".
What I suggest the president should do is in the forth paragraph of my 3:57 am comment.
"I wish I could believe this [sane people want victory], U.R., but given what I know about Vietnam I have my doubts. There were a lot of folks back then perfectly happy to see us lose. Why should today be any different? Rob Grano"
Right on, Rob!!
"At absolute worst, we know the war ends January 2009, regardless of the party claiming the White House. At least the national nightmare of the Bush Administration will finally be over." Phil Phil, I don't know how to break this to you, but we have not just been fighting Iraqis. We are fighting terrorists who want to kill you, me, our families and our way of life. No matter what happens in Iraq or who wins the election, we will be fighting them somewhere for a long time after 2009. Your Party knows this very well, but is lying to you about it, just so it can win in 08. I was there for 30 years, Phil, watching them operate--they have become liers. Everything they do now is based on lies, and a handful of Republicans are just like them. As to the "national nightmare of the Bush Administration", Americans today live better than any people since Adam and Eve. I pray to God He lets that kind of nightmare continue for my kids and great, great, great grand kids, at least. And if you think today's war is a nightmare, you better pray to whatever god you believe in that we win in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that Iran does not build its nuclear bombs. Phil, you don't have a clue as to what a real nightmare is. So, please, just get out of America's way--this isn't about politics; it's about life or death for many Americans, and for the survival of our way of life. "MER, I have a feeling that, if they aren't white conservative Republicans, the person you addressed doesn't care who dies as long as his point is made." Scott R.
Do you know how bigoted that sounds, Scott R.? If you have anything informative to add to the debate, just say it.
'Of course, the Homosocialist Party also wants us out, just so they can say "See, Bush lost the war. Look at the mess he left us--no peace with the Islamo-fascists, no more cheap oil, and nuclear bombs! What do you expect us poor Democrats to do about it?".' Indeed, Cleveland. If they win in '08, they can blame Bush & Co. for all that's going wrong, make no effort to fix it other than increase taxes and government spending, and go back to their main job, which is maintaining the poor minorities on the white liberal plantation. With the 8 - 12 million Mexican immigrants that will then be legal, they'll have their work cut out for them. But I'm sure they'll manage - the plantation owners always do.
Every time I find myself leaning closer to conservatism, someone like Cleveland inevitably comes along to set me straight.
Cleveland.... You are jumping to a lot of conclusions about my post. The question at hand is Iraq, and the fact it's been a disaster from its moment of inception. I'm fully aware that there are again terrorists in Afghanistan, and it was absolutely 100% the right thing to do to go in and get them. It's too bad we don't have the resources to finish that job, as they seem tied down elsewhere. It's also too bad we have not seen fit to honor our commitments to try to rebuild that society, but what would you expect with the black hole that Iraq has become, sucking in all available rescores.... All things considered, at this very moment, yes, I suppose that life in the US is good. Nightmare was probably not the best descriptive word for the situation we are in, because when you wake up from a bad dream you find that reality is not what you were dreaming of. Hangover might be a better term, because the next few presidents, regardless of what their party affiliation is, is going to have to deal with a nuclear Iran (unless the Israelis do something about it) and any other middle eastern country that can lay their hands on the bomb, a broken and demoralized military, China, resurgent nationalist Russia, Sunni and Shiite sectarian violence, unsecured borders, Hugo Chavez, radial Islam, North Korea, and a spending spree in this country that has saddled us with trillions more of debt. I do have a clue. We won the war and lost the peace. Our military commanders told Washing EXACTLY what was needed, and Washington told them to pound sand...remember Rumsfelds comment about going to war with the Army you have...sad to say but the next 20 years or so are going to be a nightmare. We will see a nuclear exchange somewhere, and will be powerless to stop it because we chose to fight an imaginary enemy in Iraq instead of the real one. My God is a god of free will. Men will suffer the consequences of their actions or inactions. Blame for the current situation rests squarely on the shoulders of the man who responded so poorly to the aftermath of 9/11. The next candidate I vote for will be the one who stands up and offers vision and direct to spend wisely, secure the country, and win the peace. So far, none of the current crop meets that standard. Cheers....Phil
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