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May 22, 2013
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 Winning the War of WordsPosted on Mar 5, 2007WASHINGTON—The story of the new Congress is actually two stories. Democratic leaders and their grass-roots supporters will decide in the coming days which narrative will prevail. In January, Democrats dominated the news, the public agenda and the Republicans. In the last weeks of February, the Republicans came back—not by offering grand proposals but by using the limited tools they have to prove that Democrats don’t have enough power, yet, to end the war in Iraq. When they first took control, Democrats looked crisp and disciplined, attributes not normally associated with their party. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s House quickly passed the Democrats’ popular campaign promises, including measures on the minimum wage, stem cell research and renewable energy and reforms of the student loan and Medicare prescription drug programs. This agenda had its skeptics, but it provided focus for a party long out of power and drew significant Republican defections, feeding a raft of “Republicans in disarray” stories. Pelosi said at a January news conference that so many Republicans voted for the Democratic proposals that one of her colleagues joked, “Maybe you made these bills too easy.” The Senate Democrats quickly pushed through a different version of the minimum wage increase, and the party’s leading foreign policy voices framed a critique of President Bush’s Iraq policy that squared with the public’s increasingly skeptical view of the war. Advertisement Instead, one news story after another has highlighted differences among congressional Democrats over how to end the war. There is also the divide between the Washington party and activists at the grass roots and in the blogosphere. All of these problems are rooted in two unalterable facts: Democrats, on the basis of their thin majorities in Congress, lack the numbers to force an unwilling president to alter his course. And they are short of votes to cut off funds for the war altogether. This week could well determine whether Democrats splinter or find a new strategy on Iraq based on the unhappy but realistic assumption that—unless Bush suddenly opens himself to new approaches—the fight to change course in Iraq is likely to go on all this year, and perhaps into the next. The premise of any strategy, said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, must be that “a lot of people were overshooting the runway on what one piece of legislation could accomplish.” Emanuel was referring to the effort of war critics to achieve too many of their goals all at once through the supplemental appropriations bill for Iraq and Afghanistan. The Illinois Democrat (whose commitment to gradualism has won him some enemies in antiwar ranks) said House Democrats this week will attempt to narrow their focus to three problems they can address through the supplemental bill. They will add funds for the war in Afghanistan, to make the point that the president’s proposal “misses the mark” when it comes to defeating al-Qaida. They will place clear demands on the Iraqi government to prove its effectiveness. And they will “give the troops what they’re supposed to have, whether it’s training or equipment.” Among some of the staunchest congressional foes of the war, there is a growing awareness of the obstacles they face. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., an antiwar hero, sent an important message to his allies when he said Sunday on “Meet the Press” that “we don’t have the votes” to cut off funding for the war. Murtha is expected to offer a long-promised proposal this week that would impose readiness requirements on all troops sent to Iraq. But in an attempt to pick up moderate and perhaps even Republican votes, Murtha will add a provision allowing Bush to waive the requirement—putting the burden on the president to explain why he is sending troops into harm’s way with inadequate rest and training. Democrats and the left face a testing time. For some in the antiwar movement, failing to end the war right now is immoral. But as Murtha suggested, a short-term strategy to end the war can’t work. This is a long struggle, and those engaged in it need to battle for the long term. E.J. Dionne Jr.‘s e-mail address is postchat(at symbol)aol.com. © 2007, Washington Post Writers Group  Previous item: What Would You Do if You Were Iran? Next item: Harry Belafonte, the Lion at 80 New and Improved CommentsIf you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy. |
How America Became a Third World Country: 2013-2023
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By Jeff Badura, March 12, 2007 at 4:08 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
what was it that (d) Congressman David Obey called some anti-war activists outside his office ?? “Idiot liberals” !!!! ha ha ha ha ha and that’s coming form a Dem !!! wow !! your really winning the war of words ha ha ha ha
there are two sides here?? those of us who root for America to win the war, and those of you who root for us to lose!! (traitors), and the only way we lose is if we run away and that’s what the anti-war people wish us to do !!!
Obey is 100% correct !! the Dem’s will never stop this war I’ve told you all before!!
illgramaticus knee o’kaun
Report thisBy yours truly, March 9, 2007 at 10:57 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Either we end the Iraq war or it’ll be the end of us. Cause there is no in-between.
Report thisBy Dale Headley, March 8, 2007 at 4:02 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Congress will not end this war for two reasons: The Republicans LOVE war; and the Democrats are cowards.
Report thisBy Dennis D, March 7, 2007 at 9:26 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
A fine show, remember Pelosi with her gavel. Happy days are here again - the problem is they’ve never left for the same old reasons. Just the other side of a coin that buys the same thing for those that have it in their hand. Career politicians of either party should make us all very afraid.
Report thisBy John F. Butterfield, March 7, 2007 at 6:09 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The best way out of Iraq is to impeach Bush and Cheney.
Report thisBy mite, March 7, 2007 at 3:20 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
I am not going to write it again. Truthdig has it in some comment I posted previously or look it up yourself.
It is a statement from Mark Twain, 1885 about our Congress. A class of crooks for individual gain.
We-The-People forget or fail to look for the truth. It is not about a Party-GOP, it is about money and IOU’s. Let us not forget all the years each side of the Isle has destroyed this nation for their own personal greed.
Fact: There is ‘No’ U.S. or government, only a Contract with Bankers- Uniform Commercial Code- and President Bush (G.W.) said it best: It’s only a piece of paper! (U.S. Constitution)
Our representives of Congress are only trustees of these Private Banks and govern by their board and stockholders. search: USAvsUS
If you dare to find the truth- and then What are you going to do about it?
Do we know that no court ruling prior to 1938 is allowed to be presented in anyones defense.
Report thisBy JohnnyBuck, March 7, 2007 at 2:31 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
I suppose ol’ E.J just didn’t have an idea for a column that day and came up with this drivel. Let’s see, Dems have had control of congress for what? 5 or 6 weeks now? And they haven’t stopped the war yet? What a bunch of slackers.
Doesn’t matter what plan Dems come up with if the crazy Republicans insist on sticking to Georgie-boy. as crazy a strategy as that is. Who are they kidding? Come June when the “surge” proves to be as feckless a plan as “stay the course” proved to be, they’ll start abandoning the administration in droves, and embracing such concepts as benchmarks, unit readiness and the ever popular “peace with honor” anything that’ll distance themselves from this disaster.
As big John McCain is finding out, support for this war is a loser. It’s no surprise that he’s dropping like a stone IN HIS OWN PARTY for hugging up to Georgie-boy and his lamentable “surge”.
The blood’s in the water folks. McConnell et-al might win a week here or there, but they know the whole affair is doomed. It’s not a question of if they’ll defect, it’s just a matter of when.
So relax E.J. all in good time my friend!
Report thisBy Jeff Badura, March 7, 2007 at 11:13 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
to Comment #57084 by stonehinge,
naa !! i don’t want to sing in the choir !!! I’d rather speak truth to ignorance and rain on libs parades its more fun being an antagonist!!
illgramaticus Knee o’kaun
Report thisBy dick, March 7, 2007 at 7:22 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
AIPAC has the Congress and 2008 candidates under it’s thumb.Thus much talk and posturing but no real opposition to Israel’s demands for our making mayhem in the middle east.
Report thisBy stonehinge, March 6, 2007 at 9:42 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
illgramaticus—how apt, and like you got so much feck to offer—I am so-o-o totally underwhelmed, roflmao.
Sorry dude, but I’m not getting any rays of truth out of your ill-conceived diatribe. It’s amazing how you guys just make it up as you go, but that seems to be the way for most of you knee 0’kauns. Actually, given the mess they inherited, I think our Democratic leaders are doing fine, just fine. So, next time you need to clear your pipes, try RedStates or LGF—those folks actually admire someone who can drop a nice big load.
Report thisBy Fewkes, March 6, 2007 at 8:22 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The Democrats got a mandate in the November 2006 elections. That mandate has grown since then. The Democrats made a lot of bold statements since then but when the time for action came they could not or would not ACT.
I believe that with the communications skills that the Democratic Party has they should have been able to create some statement that made it clear that they understood what the American people wanted and were willing to do whatever was necessary to represent the American people’s point of view.
So far it appears to be business as usual.
Fewkes
Report thisBy Jeff Badura, March 6, 2007 at 7:21 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
the Dem’s have no desire to be counted!! as a body they are a feckless lot !! smelling the wind to see were they stand !!! almost all voted for the war with pride, now that the going has gotten tough the Dem’s run and hide and claim they aren’t responsible while all the while continuing to pay for the war !! they pander to who ever they are speaking to (you guys) and so they want to pass “non-binding” resolutions to try to quite the “nut-roots” in these parts !! they need to have you in the bank, to have any hope of winning elections! but they have no desire to implement your idea’s!! the Dem’s are in a conundrum they need to please you guys, but don’t want to piss off the center !! and it cant be done !! for if majority of those who surf this site got their way, the Dem party would not only lose elections in the next decade, the party would die, just like the Federalist’s and the Wig’s did !!! the views here have no chance of being implemented !! remember 80% of the people were for this war !! those 80% might not be happy with the progress right now “fatigue makes cowards of us all” but they will never support the hate America first retreat and defeat cut and run America is the worst nation of all time views we hear here !!! and i say “never” !! that’s a recipe for electoral disaster !! the 06 election was a less than average, average win for the party that doesn’t hold the presidency!! it was no mandate for the end of the war on terror, it was no mandate for leftist change !! 08 will be a presidential election, and that means national security will be topic # 1 so get ready for at least 4 more yrs of GOP neocon control of your government !!! if you guys really think Hillary or Obama is going to be the next Commander and Chief in a time of war!! and that they are going to implement you far left views?? than you guys got to lay of the stuff your smoking!! cause its damaged your cognitive abilities !! the Dem’s will do nothing to end this war !!! nothing they can be held accountable for !! they will sit on the fence and hope you don’t call them on it !!!
once the bombs start dropping on Iran cause the UN is incapable of shutting down the nuke program its will be another episode of rally round the flag you witnessed four and five years ago !! this war on terror will take decades to win so get used to endless war for a long part of your lifetimes !!!
and in the end the world will be a much better place, for all of us, and history wont even note the views you read hear !!! Isn’t this country great !!! I love the USA !!!
illgramaticus knee o’kaun
Report thisBy John Hanks, March 6, 2007 at 1:51 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Your average lower middle class American isn’t as dumb as he might appear. I wish every educated liberal could do some role playing in how to speak lower middle class and how to counter or lead with lower middle class ideas.
For instance, when another person says I should be patriotic, I simply say that I am loyal to the nation of “Smarts”, which is really the only nation worth considering.
When someone tells me I should support the troops, I tell them that I am paying my taxes and that anything else is just mumbo jumbo.
I hardly ever refer to Republicans as anything else but crooks, traitors, or Nazis. If they say that some Republicans are good, I say that they are the exceptions that prove the rule.
I speak bluntly and I challenge cliche’d assumptions. I don’t defend or preach. I simply state things matter of fact.
Report thisBy Bert, March 6, 2007 at 1:49 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
I think Murtha should push to over-fund the war so that issue’s off the table, and everyone can figure out what it’s going to take to end the war etc. It’s too late to pinch pennies, so go nuts on spending so that that argument stops.
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