Like I’ve said before, “Politics, my dear, the thrill is gone.” The Democratic and Republican parties are equally skilled at squashing my enthusiasm. I’m much more left-leaning than right. But when the Dems don’t take a stand, how can I line up with them?
Today’s vote in the Senate on Democratic proposals for withdrawal from Iraq was a farce. Per usual. Even with Bush’s approval ratings so low, it’s becoming more and more evident that once again the Dems will find a way to snatch defeat from victory in November.
The conventional wisdom is that the Democratic Party is indecisive and weak, a la Kerry’s “I voted for it before I voted against it.” So what happens? Not one but two alternatives to Bush’s failed Iraq war policy are put up for a vote in the Senate.
Both fail, naturally. The Kerry proposal to withdraw all combat troops by July 1, 2007 gets just 13 Democratic votes. A nonbinding resolution calling on the administration to begin withdrawing troops with no timetable fared better, losing 60-39.
Still, six Democrats voted against the wishy-washy Democratic initiative. Including Joe Lieberman.
The Dems have a knack for losing political battles without even having established a firm frontline. It’s one thing to take a stand and be knocked over. But when you’re wobbling back and forth it’s difficult to tell when you’re up and when you’re down.
Wow. Bush should start bringing troops home sometime. If he feels like it. Just a suggestion. Even that flaccid notion was too strong for six Senate Democrats.
I’m so underwhelmed.
Democrats have never been united. Even Will Rogers quipped about that. I never claimed to like the segregationist Dems of the South and guys like Zell Miller and Joe Lieberman can gladly go.
But let's not forget that a majority of Dems voted against invading Iraq. Sometimes I'm underwhelmed; I'm not a party animal, but there is much the majority of them defend that I strongly approve of.
The vote in the Senate was a sham as it never had a chance of passing, even if every Dem voted to withdraw our troops. So why is that preferable to the outcome we got?
Give them a majority and see how unified they'll act then.
Posted by: Kevin Hayden | June 25, 2006 at 05:58 PM