Tough Spot

The Dems are saying that Iraq war funding will be "delayed" while they figure out their next move. It takes time to do careful policy and political calculations .....

Meanwhile, the media continues to carry water for the Republican:

Democrats are in a tough spot. Still lacking enough votes in the Senate to pass legislation ordering troops home by spring, they would have to soften their approach if they want to attract more Republicans. But doing so would rile much of the party's rank-and-file, elected on anti-war platforms and eager to cut off money for combat.

I've fallen into this trap too but have since been corrected.

The Dems do not need a filibuster or veto proof vote to stop war funding. They simply need a majority to pass Iraq war funding (which they've done once before) that includes withdrawal language. If the Preznit vetos it, then pass it again and again and again. The war will eventually have to end due to defacto unfunding.

The problem with such a strategy is that conservative Dems will likely bail, falling prey to Republican squeals of NOT SUPPORTING THE TROOPS!

I'm not of the camp that thinks Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi are spineless. Rather, I think they know the players and can count votes. It's bad enough to "compromise" and pass legislation that does not end the war. But imagine if Reid embarked on the above strategy and, oh say, ten conservative Senate Democrats bailed out on him? Dems would then look really spineless and fractured.

I favor pursuing the confrontation strategy anyway. It accomplishes two important goals. First, it puts the onus on the Republicans and Bush to defend Iraq. Putting them on the defensive is good policy and good politics. Second, and maybe more importantly, it reveals the weak sisters in the Democratic party for all to see. If some Dems bail, expect their primary hopes to dim and to have some of them cleansed from the party. In short, it would accelerate the netroots "more and better Democrats" policy.

I don't think Pelosi or Reid will do it because of the unwritten agreements to protect collegues. But it would work if they did. Who knows, perhaps enough pressure will come to bear in the coming weeks that they will. Get your email machine ready and your phone ready, because putting pressure on Congress is going to be the theme of the next several months.