Democrat nostalgia for defeat

NY Post Editorial:

Capitol Hill Democrats have finally adopted a military strategy: They've declared a war of attrition against President Bush's policy in Iraq.

The non-binding resolutions denouncing the troop surge in Baghdad and Anbar Province were the first feint. Now Democrats are launching phase two: an attempt to "de-certify" the war by effectively nullifying the 2002 congressional authorization for the use of military force against Saddam Hussein.

Here's how New York's own Sen. Chuck Schumer outlined the Dems' line of attack: "There will be resolution after resolution, amendment after amendment . . . just like in the days of Vietnam," he said. "The pressure will mount, the president will find he has no strategy, he will have to change his strategy and the vast majority of our troops will be taken out of harm's way and come home."

So much for the Democrats' insistence that they don't favor a wholesale cut-and-run from America's commitment in Iraq.

Frankly, we'd expect such sentiments from the Democrats running for president, who are falling over each other in a desperate bid to mollify the party's increasingly dominant far-left wing.

But Chuck Schumer knows better.

Or at least he used to - before he was tapped for a top leadership position, and publicly abandoned common sense in favor of toeing the party line of appeasement and surrender.

...

Yet even now, with their intentions wholly apparent, the majority Democrats won't treat the issue honestly and schedule an up-or-down vote on support for the war.

Instead, they clumsily mask their plans by offering meaningless resolutions that profess to "support the troops" even while deploring their mission.

As Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell noted:

"Republicans are fighting for the right of the American people to know where we stand. If you support this war, say so. If you don't, say so. But you cannot say you are registering a vote in favor of our troops unless you pledge to support them with the funds they will need to carry out their mission."

Which is why the Democrats refused to allow either the House or the Senate to vote on a GOP resolution that supports continued funding for the troops, even while expressing concern over the Baghdad troop surge.

That, McConnell rightly noted, is chicanery - pure and simple. "The only vote that really matters is a vote on whether to fund the troops," he said.

But that's precisely the vote the Democratic leadership is afraid of - because it would surely win an overwhelming majority, and thus bolster the president.

...

The dishonesty of the Democrat defeat caucus is becoming the subject of debate instead of the war they want to lose. This is progress. Then they must also face the consequences of their policy positions and how they harm our country. The Democrats must be forced to pay a price for politicizing war policy.