The Letter means little, The surge is inevitable.

[cleveramerican]

The letter is nothing more than political maneuvering, just like the surge.
W will give his long-awaited speech about his "new strategy" which will look a lot like the old strategy. Congress will go along with him, although there will be a lot of hand-wringing over it.This will open up a new avenue of "you voted for it" arguments from republicans, or conversely "your against the troops in the field". We have all witnessed just how powerful these arguments can be, and don't be fooled, still are.

The Dems taking congress has handed the republicans some very strong political opportunities.
W turning to Congress and saying "show me what you've got for ideas about Iraq" is very smart politics.If congress stiffs him and says "it your mess you clean it up", it opens dems up to the, "you didn't ever really have any solutions at all" argument. If congress gives him some Ideas and they don't have any real effect at all, they are now co-responsible for the mess.

Madame Speaker has said repeatedly that the funding will not be cut off, but thats truly congress' only genuine influence on Iraq policy. What does she have up her sleeve that would lead her to say this?


W is a lot of things, but he knows good politics when he stumbles across it.
Tell me how I'm wrong

[jackbourassa]

1. She won't cut off funding but...

She, and the Dems in the House, can limit the spending of the war. A "surge" means more money. That's how we stop it. We deny ANY NEW FUNDS, but agree to fund existing operations for a specific period --- say until January 2009. Therefore, we LIMIT FUNDS to existing operations and no more. "Build a fence" as Jane Harmon wrote yesterday.

Being in charge of Congress makes a world of difference. Bush can no longer establish the parameters of debate and budget. We will.

I disagree with you about how "powerful" previous arguments of "supporting the troops" are. We can make the same argument against Bush. People want out of this war, they don't believe it's "winnable" or think we should escalate. The public sides with us now. Bush has lost control of Iraq in every sense. That leaves a vacuum for us to fill. If the Democratic Congress is serious, and unapologetic, about ending the war, then this is the opportunity to show it. If the Republicans should use this as an issue, then we open up the entire can of worms regarding Bush's handling of the war, his lack of preparation and planning, as well as the lies he told to get us involved in the first place.

We can hold hearings in both the Foreign Relations Committee and in the House Appropriations Committee. Many Generals are on record saying that they don't believe a "surge" will work. We call them, and other like-minded experts, to testify and use that as the springboard to introduce our proper response. We fight for ENDING THE WAR, and push Bush to do so.

The Bully pulpit is a powerful thing, and that's something we finally have. Don't underestimate it.

[cleveramerican]

2. if he annouces the surge next week

wouldn't that be "existing" ?

[jackbourassa]

4. No. Existing as in pre-Nov. 2006...

Existing as in the amount of funds we have already promised the army. That doesn't include any promises made AFTER the Dems take office.

An announcement is not written in stone. Bush needs the support of Congress to get this plan through. Because increasing the troop level in Iraq requires MORE FUNDS and that is the responsibility of Congress. If the majority of Congress reject it, it won't exist at all.

[ixion]

3. there is one solution to Iraq: leave. Everything else is tragic, ham-fisted folly that

will do nothing but cause more pain and suffering and death, not to mention the continued decline of our international standing.


"show me what you've got for ideas about Iraq" is not good politics. There is one 'good' idea, and that's leaving the country we illegally invaded for no reason at all more than three years ago. See, this is beyond politics, and I think that's what most people fail to realize. The rest of the world is busy negotiating mutual defense pacts and changing their global economies to work on Euros rather than the dollar. For our part, we are borrowing 2 billion dollars a day, just to cover the interest payments on our debt, and printing the rest. At the same time, this person whom you claim plays good politics is thinking about attacking yet another sovereign nation, again for no good reason at all. Except this time, it's a nation that can actually defend itself. And the little emperor wanna-be is thinking of doing this with a near-broken military, and a broke country. This kind of behavior is very destructive, and cannot continue over the long term. So, for the dems to play politics as usual is a huge mistake, IMO.

This is not about political gamesmanship. This is about restoring our republic and our international standing.

[cleveramerican]

5. Politics is all the citizenry have

its the only lever I personally can pull.

[ixion]

6. sure, there is a feeling of powerlessness, but politics isn't the only one...

you have many other powers. Talk to people. Protest. Blog. Get them pissed off. Don't let it become a political game. People need to understand that the entire world, for the most part, is pretty fed up with our country at the moment, and are in the process of doing everything they can to distance themselves from us. At this point, it's remarkably polite. However, if * decides to illegally attack Iran, we are going to be in a world of hurt unlike anything we've seen in decades. Russia collapsed because it could not sustain itself economically. In short, they went broke. We are walking that same path now, and unless people realize it and demand change we're going to go through a period that will make the depression look like the roaring 20's, IMO.

We don't have to wait for elections. The congress critters will react if there is enough outrage, I hope. If they don't, we're all screwed. :-(

[sendero]

8. The sad truth is...

... there isn't a large enough supermajority of Americans to put a stop to this nonsense yet.

Yes, polls show that something like 58% are ready to bail, but that isn't enough. When it gets to 80%, the politicians will see the writing on the wall and they will end this fiasco.

I probably needn't add how sad it makes me that there are still 40% of Americans who are that god damned stupid or immoral.

[izzie]

7. Did any one think Bush would not stay in Iraq.

He can not be the one to bring the troops home as he is the one who was so right in putting them in the country in the first place. It will be left for some one else unless the House cuts the money and forces him to do it. I am sure they will not. Some one will run on stopping it and like Ike they will get in and that is how we will get out. I do not see the new House having the guts and it will fit their ways to let more get killed as they can keep calling it Bush's war and say they were for getting out all the time.

[Mojorabbit]

9. And just like vietnam

twenty years from now we will hear how the war could have been won except the dems were not willing to go the distance and really go for it with increased troops and equipment.

I hate to say it but I think there is more worry about politics than over the troops for these people. We leave now and Iraq falls apart, conflict spreads over middle east=dems fault in campaign commercials. Bad for 2008 elections.

McCain saying I told you so, we shoulda surged and we would have won. I don't think it will happen(that we will leave). We will be there in 2008. I hope I am wrong. I just don't think they have the troops best interest in mind.

[Buzz Clik]

10. It draws the line. Now, it's time to support our leaders and help them stand firm.