Senate Republicans appear to be about ready to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in Iraq. Just as the nascent Iraqi government starts to get up a head of steam in anticipation of next month’s elections, some “nervous Nellies” who worry about what the New York Times says about them appear to be willing to play the surrender card:
In a sign of increasing unease among Congressional Republicans over the war in Iraq, the Senate is to consider on Tuesday a Republican proposal that calls for Iraqi forces to take the lead next year in securing the nation and for the Bush administration to lay out its strategy for ending the war.The proposal on the Iraq war, from Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, and Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, would require the administration to provide extensive new quarterly reports to Congress on subjects like progress in bringing in other countries to help stabilize Iraq. The other appeals related to Iraq are nonbinding and express the position of the Senate.
It isn’t just that this is the absolute worst time for Senate Republicans to turn into jellyfish on the war. It is their pathetic belief that this will somehow shield them from criticism or lessen their association with the War in Iraq in any way. Surely they don’t believe it will have any affect on the White House. In which case, they are directing their concerns toward the Iraqi people and government. In fact, this is the primary reason they are giving for this surrender:
Mr. Warner said the underlying message was, “we really mean business, Iraqis, get on with it.” The senator, an influential party voice on military issues, said he did not interpret the wording of his plan as critical of the administration, describing it as a “forward-looking” approach.“It is not a question of satisfaction or dissatisfaction,” he said. “This reflects what has to be done.”
Democrats said the plan represented a shift in Republican sentiment on Iraq and was an acknowledgment of growing public unrest with the course of the war and the administration’s frequent call for patience. “I think it signals the fact that the American people are demanding change, and the Republicans see that that’s something that they have to follow,” said Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader.
Well, Frist and Co. walked into that one, didn’t they? When Harry Reid says your on the side of the angels and that “the American people are demanding change” it begs the question: why not just throw in the towel now instead of waiting until next November?
By realizing Democratic talking points on the war, the Republican majority may just have taken an irrevocable step toward becoming the Republican minority.
As for the Iraqi government, here’s my friend AJ at Strata-Sphere:
A democratic and free Iraq does not take orders from doddling old fools in the US Senate. Who is being imperialistic now? And how about playing the Vietnam card.
Only a nitwit believes that the Iraqi government isn’t desperate to get rid of US troops and have their own army take control in fighting the insurgency. I daresay that any Iraqi politician coming out and saying that he likes anything about American troops patrolling his country – not to mention having those troops under American command and living in places where there is no Iraqi sovereignty – will not receive many votes at the polls. The fact is that Iraqi politicians are smarter than most Senators. At least in Iraq, the politicians are bright enough not to hand their opponents an election winning issue. The major political parties are all in support of getting Americans out as fast as possible. Why the “doddering old fools” in the Senate believe otherwise is a mystery.
The Administration will shrug off this nonsense as well it should. But the damage done to Republican Senators will evidence itself next November as I suspect several of their number will not be joining them when the next Congress convenes in January, 2007.
UPDATE
Hugh Hewitt has a similar take:
The proposed Senate resolution is an unmistakable vot-of-no-confidence in the Adminsitration, and the best gift the United States Senate could give Zarqawi and his terrorist ranks. It is almost incomprehensible that Senate Republicans could see this in any other fashion.
6:43 am
Frist and Co. need SEC investigation regarding false business dealings.
7:43 am
Warner has also been identified as a potential candidate for the 2008 presidential race. Pairing up with jelly-spine Frist is not an auspicious opening gambit.
8:26 am
So this is just what we wanted: more signs of devolution of the Senate GOP toward invertebrate status, just when they’re to be girding for Armageddon as regards the Alito confirmation.
9:20 am
How dare they capitulate to the anti-Iraq Left. We are on the tip of winning the war in Iraq and they are surrendering? This is Vietnam all over again, we didn’t elect Republican majority to make nice with Georgetown. This is worse than Democrats voting for the war out of political considerations in 2002. If they think the Meirs nomination brought out us wingnuts, this is tantamount to treason.
9:35 am
[...] er time. Lorie also has this posted at Polipundit here with comments rolling in. Here is Rick Moran’s take at the Right Wing Nut House: Senate Republi [...]
10:29 am
Election-year politics isn’t always a bad thing
Everybody’s talking today about
10:49 am
Time to take out the Republican Trash!
Once again, Senator Republicans like Frist are grabbing their ass with both hands and jumping around to the Democratic whip, and evidently poll numbers.
10:57 am
REPUBLICANS ADMIT: WE HAVE NO IDEAS
JOHN WARNER, DISTINGUISHED cut and paste Republican senator from Virginia, may or may not be charged with plagiarism in the new cut and paste Republican “plan†to cut and run from Iraq. Message: Get out, America. But there is
2:36 pm
Hugh Hewitt is mad at Senate Republicans
for offering, as a substitute for a Democratic resolution calling for a phased withdrawal from Iraq, a resolution calling on President Bush “to explain to Congress and the American people its strategy for the successful completion of its mission in…
5:18 pm
Iraq and the 90% Rule
There is a rule of life that 90% of the cost of an activity will be incurred in performing 10% of the task. I first read this in a study from IBM many years ago that provided empirical evidence of the truth of this rule-of-thumb and it’s someth…
9:10 pm
Tuesday Night Round-Up
On the 24th of November, William Buckley Jr. will celebrate his 80th birthday. The Economist (via The Mote in God’s Eyes, with an amazing post) takes the chance to ponder about the future of the American Conservative Movement and the Republican Party…
10:34 pm
Rally the Veto! Stop the GOP surrender!
Hey, the minority Republicans did salvage SOMETHING from the majority Democrat juggernaut: they are going to withdraw, just not on a TIMETABLE. Idiots. We still have to take out Iran and Syria. Commitment to withdrawal is commitment to making Iraq ou…
11:08 pm
Here is my email to my Senator.
Senator,
I am not a one issue voter with one exception the War On Terror. Passage of the Warner amendment today was a great victory FOR OUR ENEMY’S AND THE CUT AND RUN LOBBY. I voted for you Senator how could you betray your base the President the troops and the Iraqi people with your yea vote Senator? This reminds me of how the withdrawal from Vietnam started. I am just an average American and don’t have lots of money to contribute to political campaigns so this probably means nothing to you but I will not give any money to the Republican party and I may not even vote for you when you come up for reelection.
Sincerely
NOT ONE DIME!
1:35 am
Just Exactly What We DON’T Need
Now isn’t that just ******* wonderful? Why don’t we just set a date in advance and tell the G*d-d*mned jihadis that if they just lie low and wait a little longer we’ll pull out and turn the country over to them?
12:43 pm
A comity of errors, choice vs. echo dept.
A visitor from another planet watching the Senate today would never guess the GOP has a majority. More great leadership from Dr. Frist and they won’t have it much longer.
The Democrats proposed an amendment, effectively calling for surrender in Iraq…