Snooze 'Til We Lose

The Captain has fun with Harry Reid's Big Night Out (final fizzle here).

And the Times offered this:

Only three Republican senators have said publicly that they intend to support the measure. Others who have gone public with their complaints about the war strategy said they were worried that the plan was ill-advised, and was being driven ahead by the Democrats mainly for partisan reasons.

“You wonder if they are more interested in politics than dealing with the substance of this,” said Senator George V. Voinovich, Republican of Ohio.

Playing politics with this?  Geez, do they mean to suggest that the same party that gave us Clinton, Kerry and Edwards supporting the war resolution in 2002 in order to burnish their "tough on security" credentials is still playing politics?

David Brooks had an interesting take on the Washington dynamic a few days ago:

In the Senate, for example, there are several major factions, but there’s no prospect that these factions are going to merge to form a majority that will change policy.

To simplify a bit, roughly 20 senators, led by John McCain and Joe Lieberman, believe in Gen. David Petraeus and the surge. There are roughly 30 Republicans, led by Dick Lugar, John Warner and Lamar Alexander, who believe that the U.S. should scale back its mission and adopt the Iraq Study Group’s recommendations. There are roughly 30 Democrats, led by Carl Levin and Jack Reed, who also want to scale back and adopt the study group’s approach. And finally, there are roughly 20 Democrats, led by Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold, who just want to get out as quickly as possible.

In theory, it should be possible to get the 30 Republicans and the 30 Democrats who support the study group’s framework together to embrace a common plan. But Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, is doing everything he can to prevent a bipartisan consensus. It’s much better politically for the Democrats to stay united and force the Republicans to vote with the president.

And even if Reid were to allow bipartisanship, in practice it’s hard to write a single piece of legislation that can get you 60 votes. Senior staffers are finding that if they tweak the language to get four more Republicans, they wind up losing seven Democrats. It’s a bit like immigration reform: In theory there is a centrist majority; in practice, it’s hard to put it together.

Comments

[clarice]

What piffle. I believe the study group supported the surge and so did the Senate whihc also approved Petraeus for the mission.

The Reps may be not so smart but lucky for the US the Dems are dumber.

[kim]

Which is why the Founders gave the Legislature the power to declare war, and the Executive the power to make war. Simply, it is a Hell of a lot easier to get into a war than to get out of one.
=============================

[Garth]

how out of touch can the press get?

a majority of americans want to see withdrawl now. filibustering and obstructionism by the republicans is only going to come back and bite them...

we'll see what happens when Reid does it again in September after Paetrus comes back and says he needs another 6 months...

[Jane]

Anyone know what people who pay no attention to this stuff think about the Congress?

[Carol Herman]

DeMint is a newcomer. A republican serving his first term in the senate. And, he's getting the headlines needed; so that the "leadership crap" of the GOP are telling him to lay off.

Mitch McConnell's "claim to fame" is that he brought in the Impeachment charges against Clinton, into the senate. It's dumb to give him any leadership role. Since Impeachment was an error for the GOP. (Tom DeLay says so, himself. As he cleared out for the time being. I expect he'll be back.) And, the voices for reform will grow louder.

As to Trent Lott, what's there to say?

For McCain, McVain, McPain? He says he lost on the dead Immigration Bill. But he's not going anywhere, either. A good piece, yesterday, up at Glenn Reynolds, offered a link with a view. McCain's biggest mistake? Because he's a proponent of going "long" in Irak, the media are furious with him. And, in previous generations, when he ran, it was the media who loved him so. Expect no repairs to this divorce.

As to Harry Reid, or the "pa" in the Ma & Pa Kettle Show; it's really not selling tickets. Ozark-ian leadership which is based on moonshine.

[kim]

I bet DeMint.
=======

[bio mom]

Reid pulling the defense bill is just sour grapes and underscores that all the Democratic speeches about caring for the troops is a lot of nonsense. Then he immediately invokes cloture on two other important controversial bills as a punishment to the Republicans for not supporting his stunt. Our country's finest at work! I am proud the Republicans held together against this one.

[Pofarmer]

I dunno. If Reid hasn't jumped the shark with this one, he's certainly eyeing the tank. What did it accomplish? Nothing. What could it have accomplished? Nothing.

how out of touch can the press get?

a majority of americans want to see withdrawl now.

Two sentences that say a lot, but not what he intended them to.

[PeterUK]

Highest ranking al Qaeda member in Iraq arrested. Better move the surrender forward.

[Ralph L]

I bet DeMint.
=======Posted by: kim

I et DeMint.

[MikeS]

The Senate needs to get 60 votes for something before our system of interbranch checks and balances kicks in.

[hit and run]

Hugh Hewitt inteview of Petraeus coming on in 1 minute.

[Forbes]

Brooks:

"It’s a bit like immigration reform: In theory there is a centrist majority; in practice, it’s hard to put it together."

Not only hard, after two attempts--in actuality--impossible. A theory that fails empirical tests is usually declared in error. So Brooks wrote an entire column about the Dems effort to surrender and withdraw based on a faulty theory.

[Neo]

Reid loses his water filibuster.

[Sara]

The dems looked and sounded like idiots last night during the Snooze party. It is like no one has given them an update on Iraq for at least a year.

Then there was Jeff Sessions who was absolutely outstanding. McCain is getting all the press today, but it was Sessions who really made the best arguments.

They were so impressed in comments at Malkin's, they were nominating him for Prez.

[Soylent Red]

Good, but not surprising news today. This thing was never anything more than political theater.

What sickens me is that the RINO defectors will probably never be held accountable. So this crap will just keep going on and on until public opinion erodes enough to sway the vote.

Having said that, the time is now to mobilize the "effects of leaving Iraq" re-education campaign. Today's news should be proof positive that good things are happening behind the scenes. Now would be a good time to point out the disaster of radical change in course.

On a completely unrelated note, 2 weeks to pinning. And my roommate is a flat out "war for oil" nutjob.

So I guess we will cancel each other out.

[lurker]

I suspect that September is the end of 07 fiscal year so once the next budget bill for defense, it should be good for fiscal year of 08 except for emergency bills.

If that is the case, then there are no opportunities or Aces for the Democrats to force Bush to pull out or redeploy unless it is Bush's decision.

Top Senate Democrats are now saying that they won't put this resolution back on the floor for a while and focus on the alternate resolutions or find other ways to pull those troops out.

I don't know how they could once the fiscal year budget is approved.

Correct me if I am wrong.

[Ralph L]

"On a completely unrelated note, 2 weeks to pinning"

Pin who?

Cam Fong as Chin Ho.

[Poppy]

Don't count Reid out:

Sure he's tried:

THE NON-BINDING RESOLUTION.

THE NO CONFIDENCE VOTE.

THE SLEEP DEPRIVATION TANTRUM

He still has:

STAMPING HIS FEET

ROLLING ON FLOOR BAWLING HIS EYES OUT.

and the dreaded:

HOLDING HIS BREADTH TO HE GETS THE VOTES
HE WANTS.

[Jane]

Soylent,

What's the roomate doing there? Or a better question is why did he volunteer? Or is he not all that odd?

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

Transcript of Hugh Hewitt interview with Petraeus. Sounds cautious, but confident.

[windansea]

And my roommate is a flat out "war for oil" nutjob.

that sucks

[PeterUK]

Harry Reid versus Veterans For Freedom.

[cathyf]

I was singing the WWI song Over There to the kid.

Send the word, send the word to beware.
We'll be over, we're coming over,
And we won't come back till it's over
Over there.

Somehow in previous generations they had a better understanding that you don't come back until you are done...

[Soylent Red]

Or a better question is why did he volunteer?

This is the $64K question.

He was a filthy little clerk in quartermaster before he came here. When he leaves, he will be in command of filthy little clerks. So ultimately, I don't care. I just have to try not to let my head explode for the next two weeks.

[Barney Frank]

He was a filthy little clerk in quartermaster before he came here. When he leaves, he will be in command of filthy little clerks.

LOL! That describes about 75% of the personel when I was in the Air Force. 25% of us got to play with giant airplanes and thermonuclear devices while the filthy 75% tried to ground us with red tape and paperwork.

[dick]

God bless that lt and the rest of the Vets for Freedom. They tell us why they are fighting over there and what we are accomplishing. Why are we not hearing this every day in the press or on the television news broadcasts. I read so many of the online newspapers and all you see is either our troops are being charged with a crime or a body count. The only other things we read are if the AQ blows something up. That is portrayed as showing that there is a civil war going on and we should just get out now.

I was reading some of the propaganda on the Poynter school website and they were talking about the wonderful ethics of journalism course they offered. Shame that the reporters in the MSM either slept through that one or never bothered to take it.

Put the reporting together with Reid and his shenanigans and all I can say is why would anyone vote for the LLL dems next year at all. Makes no sense to vote for someone who does all he can to see you defeated.

[dick]

God bless that lt and the rest of the Vets for Freedom. They tell us why they are fighting over there and what we are accomplishing. Why are we not hearing this every day in the press or on the television news broadcasts. I read so many of the online newspapers and all you see is either our troops are being charged with a crime or a body count. The only other things we read are if the AQ blows something up. That is portrayed as showing that there is a civil war going on and we should just get out now.

I was reading some of the propaganda on the Poynter school website and they were talking about the wonderful ethics of journalism course they offered. Shame that the reporters in the MSM either slept through that one or never bothered to take it.

Put the reporting together with Reid and his shenanigans and all I can say is why would anyone vote for the LLL dems next year at all. Makes no sense to vote for someone who does all he can to see you defeated.

[dick]

God bless that lt and the rest of the Vets for Freedom. They tell us why they are fighting over there and what we are accomplishing. Why are we not hearing this every day in the press or on the television news broadcasts. I read so many of the online newspapers and all you see is either our troops are being charged with a crime or a body count. The only other things we read are if the AQ blows something up. That is portrayed as showing that there is a civil war going on and we should just get out now.

I was reading some of the propaganda on the Poynter school website and they were talking about the wonderful ethics of journalism course they offered. Shame that the reporters in the MSM either slept through that one or never bothered to take it.

Put the reporting together with Reid and his shenanigans and all I can say is why would anyone vote for the LLL dems next year at all. Makes no sense to vote for someone who does all he can to see you defeated.

[maryerose]

"Reid is a loser"to quote David Corn. I have to admit I did substitute Reid's name in there. Someone needs to run Corn out of town on a rail...

[PeterUK]

Time is running out for a cut and run from Iraq,says Lee Hamilton(D) The only thing standing between surrender and flight,sorry phased withdrawal, is George Bush.

[RichatUF]

I was curious so I dug up the roll call for the LTG Petraeus confirmation...81 yeas, 0 nays, 19 not voting

Even more interesting...Reid voted for his confirmation

[RichatUF]

lurker...

I suspect that September is the end of 07 fiscal year so once the next budget bill for defense, it should be good for fiscal year of 08 except for emergency bills.

Defense expenditures are budgeted two years in advance so in theory the Democrats can whine and complain and pencil whip the Pentagon by re-visiting the requirements et al, but actually accomplishing their goal of losing the Iraq War will be difficult for the remainder of Bush's term.

If that is the case, then there are no opportunities or Aces for the Democrats to force Bush to pull out or redeploy unless it is Bush's decision.

The ace in the Administration's pocket is the budget will probably balance smack in the middle of the 2008 silly election season. This kicks two issues the Democrat's would rather jawbone than face-eliminating the AMT without some crazy scheme to replace it or offset it and that the financial cost of the Iraq War is somehow "unaffordable" or "unsustainable".

The other problem [for Democrats] is that the surge will create the conditions necessary for Iraq to rapidly increase its oil exports. Saddam used the Iraqi oil resource as a personal piggybank-the most current maps [and exploration] were put together using 1970's technology and most of Iraq's oil infrastructure is of 1970's Soviet Block origin. The real issue is that on cost Iraq can compete [and in some fields beat] Saudi Arabia in per barrel production cost. This is what the democrats are working to prevent: Iraq supplanting KSA as the world's oil power (and the added benefit that all the top foreign talent leaving ARAMCO for a more ameanable environment in Iraq.)

Top Senate Democrats are now saying that they won't put this resolution back on the floor for a while and focus on the alternate resolutions or find other ways to pull those troops out.

Don't believe the headlines. The Murtha-Webb plan of "reducing" US troop presence in Iraq will just shift the burden to military contractors. Whenever those guys go on about their plans, hold on to your wallet, because your money is going to their favorite contractors all the while squeezing the ones not to their liking.

I don't know how they could once the fiscal year budget is approved...

Pretty easy, the federal government has been "building" Yucca Mountain for 20 years...Congress can re-visit, attach strings, interfere in the testing [Missle Defense comes to mind]...

RichatUF

[kim]

Cooks, clerks, and jerks.
===============

[kim]

Read Robert Kagan in Policy Review, today.
============================