Should Republicans go ahead and add Supreme Court Justices to head off Democrats

Democrats on the wrong side of war debate

Donald Lambro:

Two pivotal, but underreported, developments are overlooked in the escalating political battle over the war in Iraq.
First, no matter how disenchanted Americans have become about the war to establish a strong, stable pro-Western democracy in the heart of the Middle East's terrorist breeding ground, a majority still opposes our pulling out before we have achieved that mission.
A recent poll by The Washington Post/ABC News found 52 percent want the U.S. troops kept in Iraq until Iraqis' security forces can maintain civil order. That hasn't changed.
Despite a fierce Democratic offensive in Congress for withdrawing U.S. military forces next year, if not sooner, the poll found only about 1-in-5 believe we should leave right away.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert knew that when, during a furious assault by Democrats on the war issue, he decided to give them an up-or-down vote on immediate pullout. Essentially, Rep. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, proposed that on Thursday.
In fact, there was no real consensus in Mr. Murtha's party about yanking U.S. troops out in the midst of Iraq's most perilous hour, and Mr. Hastert knew that, too.
After a similarly well-coordinated Senate offensive, followed by the usually hawkish Mr. Murtha's surprise pullout suggestion, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate leader Harry Reid and Party Chairman Howard Dean milked the issue for all the political mileage they could get. Republicans had to call their bluff. Mr. Hastert did so, scheduling a quick vote late Friday.
"The Democrats want to play politics, so let's play politics with it. See if their votes are where their mouths are," barked Carl Forti, Republican Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman. The measure, predictably, was crushed 403-3. The Democrats were all talk and no convictions.

...

There is more on the disarray that plagues the Democrats on Iraq the same way it did on Vietnam. If the antiwar pukes get control the party will go down to a McGovern like defeat again, and they will not have a Watergate issue to save them this time.