I think that people want this war to end some way. They don’t believe that the Iraqis will ever change, so while they don’t want to lose, they don’t have a clear vision of what victory is. Metrics based on car bombs a day?

I also think there is a war for the soul of the Democratic party. Between its very liberal faction and those would bring the party back to its roots. Pelosi is not really playing their opposition role well and its allow them to be attacked for stupid things. However its what we get because we don’t demand more informed voters.

The funding will be passed, after the fig leaf has been offered of making a political statement. There is no way the President is going to allow any bill with timetables to pass. Problem is, he already has a time table, January 20, 2009. If Iraq does not change dramatically who ever wins the election will pull the troops out. Even John Mc Cain.

So, yes, Skippy, if some of our prominent leadership is hedging on their commitment it is because they know that the commitment is limited by political capital in an uncertain political environment. The American people are divided, at best.

It seems to me that our task in a democracy is to do whatever we can to sway the opinions of the middle x% back toward our position through logic or better story telling. So far the “stay the course side” seems to have lost the last round. But that doesn’t mean the fight is over on this front, and we all can do our part.

There is no strategy, I just makes it up as I go along. That it annoys you in the process is just a bonus.

Can you imagine being a ground commander over in Iraq and having to fight on after something like this? It might start to make the guys a bit more risk averse rather than mission oriented – after all, who wants to lead men into battle and death when they’ve already been told by their leaders that the war is lost? If Harry Reid really was making the decisions on situations like this, I’d be looking more for ways to get everyone home alive than trying 110% to accomplish the mission. After all – the mission can’t be that important if the war’s already lost, right?

Subsunk – right on! Thanks for writing it better than I could.

Always the same predictable strategy taken:
- survey the discussion battlefield
- Throw bomb
- deflect, mitigate, qualify, obsfuscate
- retreat and display self righteous indignation

OODA, or shoot, wait..shoot?

b2

How Al Jazerra frames the arguement is not the real issue here is it? That outlet has plenty of other quotes to attack if not this one. Some even come from within the administration.

My narrow minded remark was directed at only one individual. No one else.

It is however, broad minded to suggest that there is more than one way to look at it.

Here is what he actually said:

?