Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

For every nitwit Bush Dog Dem, I sure wish we had a Kendrick Meek to stand
up and push back. I wish there were Democrats who could fight this dirty. There is a reminder out from Howie Klein for those who don’t push back and can’t fight back.

Nothing like our own helping out Bush’s cause, which is to extend the Iraq war into the next presidency. Bush’s former speechwriter chimes in today. What was to be an August of holding
Republicans accountable has turned into insanity, with Republicans thinking
they now have the upper hand.

As the summer began, it seemed that Republicans in Congress were on the verge of mass defections over the president’s conduct of the war and ready to embrace Democratic timetables for withdrawal. While Sen. John Warner’s recent call for symbolic troop reductions by Christmas didn’t help the administration’s case, it is now mainly Democrats who are recalibrating their message. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been quick to praise the accomplishments of American troops in the surge. And one Democratic House member, Washington’s Brian Baird, has gone further since returning from an Iraq visit. While gains are “still precarious,” the “situation on the ground in Iraq is improving in multiple and important ways,” he said. “I do not know the details of what the September report will contain, but I trust and respect Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker. I have seen firsthand the progress they have made, and I firmly believe we must give them the time and resources they need to succeed.” … .. A Season of Hope in Iraq

More like a season of delusion, desperation and duplicitousness. Anyone who
lived through Vietnam feels what’s about to happen.

M.J.
Rosenberg spoke for me yesterday.

This Washington Post piece today makes depressing reading. Nothing new really. It simply recounts how, on issue after war-related issue, the Democratic Congress allows George W. Bush to have his way. I understand that we don’t have a solid majority. But, as an old time Capitol Hill staffer, I can tell you that in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, even when the Republicans were in the minority, they managed to do a better job at obstructing policies they oppose than we do in the majority. … ..

The most important article you’ll read about the Democratic leadership is in
the Washington
Post today. It talks about Reid’s slow awakening on Iraq, even as he
tries once again to get Republicans to join the Democrats.

Read my new friend Jeffrey
Feldman instead.

Apparently, Republicans are wiling to sit down and talk about legislation to get out of Iraq, with just a few conditions: they refuse to use the words ‘deadline’ or ‘timetable’ or ‘withdrawal.’ In other words, the Republicans are happy to negotiation with Democrats about ending the war on Iraq, but refuse to allow any of the words Americans use to talk about ending a war. Now, I ask myself: would I sit down at the negotiating table if the opposition put forward that kind of condition as their opening position? Let me think… Nope. … .. Dems Should Walk Away

It’s time to ask, who’s in charge? What’s important? What will it take for the Democrats to stand and lead a fight for redeployment on Iraq?

Again I find myself saying I wish the Democrats knew how to fight like this. We need leadership who will.