The Senate Retreats to the Trough

Once again, with no recognition of the recent political successes of the Maliki government, nor the successes of the surge, nor any hint of the reality going on in Iraq, a legislative body of Congress has placed partisan politics and pork over our national security and voted to retreat from Iraq. Taking a page from the unethical acts of Nancy Pelosi, the equally unethical and cynical Harry Reid piled on 20 billion in pork to buy votes. And this time he was successful. Almost completely along party lines, Harry Reid legislated defeat in Iraq by the vote of 50-48.

To say it is maddening would be an understatement. But then it was made worse by smug comments like these from Harry Reid after the vote:

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic majority leader, played down the veto threat. In a speech on the Senate floor on Monday, Mr. Reid said the president was on the wrong side of public opinion. "He can swagger all he wants," Mr. Reid said, "but we have 3,241 dead Americans."

Is Senator Reid suggesting that legislation is now to be subject to a Pew poll of 1,000 people rather then informed debated on the Iraq War by our elected officials? If so, Senator Reid is superfluous. And if not, I still think him superfluous. What an utterly worthless son of a bitch he is. Just as we seem to be seeing things going right in Iraq - in large measure because of those dead Americans - he now uses their number as a justification for retreat. This man does no honor to our war dead, but rather uses them for his own partisan political gain.

The radical left wing of the Democratic Party is in control –and even the "blue dog" Democrats are giving in. It is completely clear that a number of senators understand precisely the effect that they are having on the effort in Iraq – and it is equally clear that they are either putting partisan political gain or pork above our national security, or they are simply being mowed down in their beliefs by the Kos Kids / George Soros / Moveon.Org crowd that now claim to own the heart and soul of the Democratic Party.

This from Don Surber:

In June 2006, Sen. Kent Conrad said: "I do not believe that it is a wise policy to set a specific date for a withdrawal from Iraq."

While stumping for votes last September, senatorial candidate Jim Webb said: "Anyone who tells you we can set a timetable for withdrawal doesn’t understand war. And anyone who says that nothing can be done to speed a secure peace doesn’t understand America."

On March 8, Sen. Ben Nelson said: "I’m bothered by dates. I think you still have to go on conditions for staying."

On March 12, Sen.

Evan Bayh wrote: "I, for example, am not in support of circling a date on a calendar and saying, ‘no matter what, we’re out on that date.’"

And add to that list, Harry Reid himself, along with Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, as pointed out by Mitch McConnell:

Speaking at the National Press Club in 2005, my good friend the Majority Leader himself said this: "As for setting a timeline, as we learned in the Balkans, that’s not a wise decision, because it only empowers those who don’t want us there, and it doesn’t work well to do that."

Six months after that, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Biden, said this: "A deadline for pulling out … will only encourage our enemies to wait us out" … it would be "a Lebanon in 1985. And God knows where it goes from there." That was our friend, Joe Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

And three months later, Senator Clinton made the same point when she said, "I don’t believe it’s smart to set a date for withdrawal," said Senator Clinton. "I don’t think you should ever telegraph your intentions to the enemy so they can await you." That’s the Majority Leader, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and a prominent Democrat presidential candidate.

But for a misguided few who actually believe heart and soul that the Iraq war is a moral question (Bush lied, people died, war bad, must leave bad war – the Kucinich philosophy), none of the Democrats who voted for this abortion of a bill today have the courage of their convictions. They either seek partisan gain at whatever the cost to our national security, or they have been cowed, convicted and bribed into supporting a retreat.

Moreover, what I find very distressing is that none of the Republicans will fight back. This vote was a scandal -- a real one, not like the fired attorneys. Each person who voted for this needs to be called out, either for gross stupidity or hypocrisy, as applicable, and it needs to be done in the strongest of possible terms. Senate Minority Ldr McConnell is an effective speaker, but what the Republicans need now is B-1 Bob Dornan.

This also might well be the time for our friendly independent, Joe Lieberman, to reconsider a party affiliation.