The Dem suicide mission on Iraq

AP/NY Times:

Democratic leaders are taking an all-or-nothing approach on Iraq, a tack that leaves its members empty-handed for now but keeps the party in lockstep with demands by anti-war groups.

At the end of the month, lawmakers were expected to break for their August recess without passing veto-proof legislation that would significantly challenge President Bush's Iraq policies. Such a feat would have required Democrats to soften their stance or compromise with Republicans -- something anti-war groups don't want them to do and a move party leaders have shown no interest in.

''Our goal is the total political collapse of support for Bush's war,'' said Tom Matzzie, the Washington director for the anti-war group MoveOn.org, which rose to prominence in last year's elections. ''And this August gives us an even better opportunity to achieve that.''

Earlier this month, the House voted 223-201 to order troops out of Iraq beginning in 120 days. But the bill stalled in the Senate, where Democrats hold a thinner majority and Republicans blocked the measure from advancing.

Instead of embracing bipartisan alternatives, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dropped the Iraq debate altogether. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi turned her attention to other war-related Democratic bills.

The House is expected to pass a bill Wednesday by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., that would ban permanent bases in Iraq. By week's end, the House Armed Services Committee planned to draft legislation for a vote next week that would insist troops be given sufficient time at home in between combat tours.

Left on the cutting room floor are several bipartisan proposals that could challenge Bush on Iraq and which have attracted GOP support.

Among them is a House proposal that would require Bush to deliver within 60 days a new military strategy that would end major combat and refocuses troops on fighting terrorists.

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They think this will put pressure on Republicans to cave, but they are overplaying their hand. In fact the Democrats are making it easier for Republicans to resist, because it is clear that there will be no political upside for any Republican who does cave. He will lose his Republican base of support and gain nothing from the anti war pukes who are still going to vote against him anyway. By turning it into a zero sum game the Democrats are going to wind up not voting to fund the troops in combat as they are int eh process of winning the war. They are so out of touch with the facts on the ground in Iraq that they are going to lose big time on this ploy.

The big question will be when the media catches on and starts putting pressure on the Democrats because of their foolish policy position on the war. That could very well come in the fall.