Staying the Course

Staying the Course

The Senate Democrats offered up two seperate amendments for dealing with Iraq this week. The first was authored by John Kerry and Russ Feingold calling for the complete withdrawall of US troops by July of 2007. And the second was the Levin Amendment. As you know both amendments failed to muster the required 51 votes need for passage.

Of course, the really puzzling thing about these two amendments is not that they failed, but the response of the Republican Party and the role of the MSM to serve as the echo chamber. OK, so it isn't really a suprise. The Democrats are wholly inept when it comes to dealing with the media. If I were a paid Democratic Party strategist I'd be pushing back against the frivolous charge of the Republican Party that the party is divided with the simple and what I would consider an effect response.

The Democrats are united in holding the president accountable for his policy in Iraq. As it stands, the Democrats are the only party offering up ideas to alter the "stay the course" mentality of this administration. The American public believes that the war in Iraq was a mistake, they want the troops to come home and the Democratic Party is the only party in Washington DC working to ensure that this happens.

So the next time a member of the Republican Party, or the MSM wants to posit the notion that the Democratic party lacks ideas, remember the amendments offered by Democrats. Remember that "staying the course" in Iraq has proven to be costly and ineffective.

Democrats should be taking the fight to the Republicans with a greater sense of urgency. The Democrats need to be the hammer rather than continue to get hammered on the subject of Iraq and troop reductions and/or troop withdrawal. Just once I'd like to hear a Democrat make a statement that would surely cause consternation for the Bush administration and the Republicans in either the house of senate. What Democrat has the courage, the balls to say, "If congress had passed the amendment by Jack Murtha the deaths of Pfc. Menchaca and Pfc. Tucker could have been prevented. It is encumbent upon congress to do more protect the lives of those US troops serving in Iraq."

Yes, the question was rhetorical.


John Kerry, Russ Feingold, Carl Levin, Iraq, Republican Party, Democratic Party, Republican, Democrat, staying the course, Jack Murtha, Bush administration, Pfc. Menchaca, Pfc. Tucker, troop reductions, troop withdrawal