Bravo Democrats! Now Comes the Hard Part
Unlike Republicans, who seem almost genetically disposed to march in lockstep, getting Democrats to act in unison is a challenge akin to herding cats through an obstacle course. Kudos then to Senate and House leaders who rallied their members in both houses recently to pass emergency funding bills for Iraq, each of which represents a stunning and well deserved rebuke to a sitting president waging war overseas.
Now Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi must oversee a reconciliation of the two bills. The House bill sets a binding deadline for the withdrawal of United States major combat forces by the fall of 2008 along with benchmarks for the Iraqi government, whilst the Senate bill sets an earlier but non-binding target of this time next year. Even if they manage that challenge, they must then map a strategy to deal with the inevitable veto from President Bush, who wants a clean funding bill with no deadlines or caveats, and the unfortunate game of chicken with the White House on who will blink first as accusations fly thick and fast on who’s to blame for jeopardising the well-being of the troops.
The smart money is on Bush to prevail since the Democrats lack the votes to override his veto and Congress’ only weapon, the ability to provide or withhold funding, is something of a blunt instrument where the highly sensitive subject of the welfare of our soldiers is concerned. Bush has shown repeatedly, of course, that he couldn’t care less about that - a fact which gives him the upper hand from the get-go. And he has nothing whatsoever to lose by displaying his usual obtuse stubbornness in refusing to compromise, since his one goal now is to hand the disaster that is Iraq off to his successor.
Still, assuming Bush gets his unfettered emergency Iraq funding bill, the US Congress will have challenged him for the first time on his failed strategy and handling of the war and served notice that the fight to get us the hell out has only just begun. Perhaps even more significantly, the Iraq War will now be a Republican war, clear and simple. Bush may have bullied and cajoled to get bipartisan support to start the thing, but he and the GOP are virtually alone in continuing it indefinitely. Given the way most Americans now feel about the entire venture that would seem a perilous course indeed.
Great observations. It is good to see the democrats fighting, even if some battles are lost. For that matter it’s good to see congress as a whole finally putting up a few hurdles for this president.
The Iraq War is in fact finally being seen as a Republican War. The Democrats have been taking small steps to distance themselves from the war for a couple of years now, but the current spending bill is really going to do a lot to place the responsibility for this was squarely on the Republicans, where it belongs.