Democratic Strategist: We’d Get Clobbered
In Jack Kelly’s latest column, titled Zarqawi’s Bad Week, he quotes an unnamed Democratic strategist via Eleanor Clift on the Friday night House vote. Here’s the money quote:
“It’s a trap,” a Democratic strategist told Newsweek’s Eleanor Clift. “If the party comes out for a unilateral six month withdrawal, that would become the issue for 06, and they (Republicans) would kill us again.”
Don’t look now but these Democrats still got trapped and they’re still gonna get clobbered on this issue. Shortly after his “immediate withdrawal” press conference, Murtha started backing off that position. Still, it’s ingrained in Democrats’ DNA that they believe in pulling out of the war while not losing face.
They didn’t vote their convictions Friday night but they still harbor that belief but that belief will surface before next November’s elections.
With the walls falling in on al Qaida in Iraq, it would seem a curious time for congressional Democrats to go into preemptive surrender mode. Rep. John Murtha, (D-PA), introduced a resolution last week calling for “immediate redeployment” of U.S. troops from Iraq.
As usual, Jack Kelly has found the ultimate irony in the Democrats’ position. This is what happens when your positions are directed by polls. Say what you will about the President’s beliefs but at least they’re rooted in what he believes in and in what’s likely to be most effective in solving a problem. Democrats’ positions are most often anchored in what sounds good to focus groups instead of being focused on either long- or short-term solutions.
Murtha’s saying that “It is evident that continued military action in Iraq” isn’t “in the best interests of the United States of America…”, proof is evident with the military success in Mosul, where 8 terrorists have been killed. It’s suspected that these were “high value targets” because of the intensity of the firefight.
Unless and until Democrats get more interested in solving problems than they’re currently interested in playing politics, don’t expect them to be taken seriously at the polls.
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRing
November 22nd, 2005 at 3:03 pm
Sure, democrats have waited to see what the public’s take on Iraq is before commiting to a position on the war, but republicans support of the war is no more than a facade to disguise their support, not for our troops, but for Bush.
As to Murtha’s resolution. the democrats failed miserably to show some spine and vote for it. It wasn’t a trap. Doesn’t Clift’s souce ever read the newspapers or watch TV news? A raging majority of Americans are against this war now, and a majority want it to end ASAP. It’s not democrats who will suffer come the elections but republicans who have continued to support this reckless war and therefore spit in the face of every American opposed to it.
Democrats however need to take a position on this war and not appear as the frightened political hacks they are now. The worst of them is Hillary Clinton who’s now speaking out of both sides of her mouth, John Kerry with a plan that goes nowhere and John Edwards, who never says anything about the war. At least Joseph Biden and John McCain have taken a stand and have stuck to it–unfortunately; they want more troops in Iraq. Russ Feingold is the only politician who may turn out to be the democrats salvation.
November 22nd, 2005 at 5:37 pm
So the catholic church refuses to admit ‘practicing homosexuals’ to the priesthood. I suppose pederasts make better priests.