Cutting and Running

When you wake up and find your house is completely engulfed in flames do you "cut and run" or wait around to be consumed by the fire? Well Marshall Wittmann gives us another example of what's wrong with the DLC Democrats this morning.

While Murtha's position is unwise, his frustrations over the Administration's manifold failures and blunders are completely justified. Moreover, the White House "Michael Moore" and "Josephine McCarthy" Schmidt's (R-OH) attacks on the Congressman are obscene. And the GOP House resolution attempting to undermine Murtha was a puerile stunt unworthy of the institution.

The Third Camp stands between the Administration "stay the course" and the "withdrawal now" forces. It includes both supporters of the decision to go to war and critics. Its leaders include John McCain, Joe Biden and Wes Clark.

While they have different victory strategies, all of these men believe that it would be a disaster to leave Iraq in chaos. This camp is highly critical of the President's failures in the post-war period and argues for a new strategy. This force believes that the White House is losing the moral high ground by failing to take a strong stand against torture and the inhumane treatment of prisoners.

However, the Third Camp is united in the belief that America can only leave when Iraq is relatively stable and a government is in place that can defend itself against the terrorist forces. Some favor more troops, at least temporarily. Others believe that current levels are adequate. Most of all, the Third Camp seeks a bi-partisan national unity that rejects the increasingly bitter polarization over the war. This is not the time to suggest that the President lied or that patriotic critics of the war are treasonous. To paraphrase Congressman Rahm Emanuel, the debate should not be over how we got in but rather how we get out leaving behind a stabilized Iraq.

The difficulty for the Third Campists is that America suffers from a leadership vacuum. For the next three years, we have a President that is incapable of the political imagination and depth. Along with his allies in the Abramoff House of Representatives, W. has successfully polarized the debate and he and the Admnistration are part of a growing minority.Because of the failure of our leadership, we are approaching a national security crisis.

The public has lost faith in this war. Senator Warner and Lugar should immediately call for thorough hearings on this war - President Bush should take the unprecedented step and testify along with the on-the-ground military leaders. At a time of collapsing confidence in this Administration, the President should be explaining and not arguing. Americans deserve a full and complete assessment of the situation. The country has paid too much in both blood and treasure to accept anything less.

What is needed is a bi-partisan coalition to emerge to seize control of this bleak situation - a "coalition of the adults."

Sorry Marshall, it's too late. Iraq is fully engulfed in flames and if we stay the US will be burned as well. And as for al-Qaeda and Zarqawi, they are in Iraq and have what little influence they have in Iraq because the US is there.