Democrats try to scramble back to sanity on Iraq

NY Times:

As violence declines in Baghdad, the leading Democratic presidential candidates are undertaking a new and challenging balancing act on Iraq: acknowledging that success, trying to shift the focus to the lack of political progress there, and highlighting more domestic concerns like health care and the economy.

Advisers to Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama say that the candidates have watched security conditions improve after the troop escalation in Iraq and concluded that it would be folly not to acknowledge those gains. At the same time, they are arguing that American casualties are still too high, that a quick withdrawal is the only way to end the war and that the so-called surge in additional troops has not paid off in political progress in Iraq.

But the changing situation suggests for the first time that the politics of the war could shift in the general election next year, particularly if the gains continue. While the Democratic candidates are continuing to assail the war — a popular position with many of the party’s primary voters — they run the risk that Republicans will use those critiques to attack the party’s nominee in the election as defeatist and lacking faith in the American military.

If security continues to improve, President Bush could become less of a drag on his party, too, and Republicans may have an easier time zeroing in on other issues, such as how the Democrats have proposed raising taxes in difficult economic times.

“The politics of Iraq are going to change dramatically in the general election, assuming Iraq continues to show some hopefulness,” said Michael E. O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who is a supporter of Mrs. Clinton’s and a proponent of the military buildup. “If Iraq looks at least partly salvageable, it will be important to explain as a candidate how you would salvage it — how you would get our troops out and not lose the war. The Democrats need to be very careful with what they say and not hem themselves in.”

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The improvements in the situation in Iraq make the Democrats look like fools and the longer they try to act like it is still bad the worse they are going to look on election day. Republicans should be able to make voters look at all the Democrats vote to lose on Iraq to confirm their poor judgment on the use of force and national security in general. I think Iraq is more than salvageable, it is winnable. At the current pace of progress al Qaeda and the Democrats will share a significant defeat in Iraq. When the voters realize that, the Democrats should get a McGovern like defeat.

What the NY Times is doing with this story is warning the Democrats not to get too far out in front on their calls for retreat. But, its too late. They are already out there, and now they have to find a way to gracefully scamper back. Hopefully the Republicans will not do anything to make it easier for them. Perhaps the Republicans should schedule some more withdrawal votes for the Democrats to lose.

Captain's Quarters says "The Democrats thought that Iraq would make the 2008 elections a cakewalk -- that voters would throw flowers in their path, joyously celebrating their liberation from a complete American defeat. As it turns out, a funny thing happened on the way to the cakewalk -- the US forgot to lose. As the situation improves in Iraq, the Democrats now face the task of defending their prior rhetoric...." Republicans need to start reminding people of the Democrats' prior rhetoric and votes.