Centerfield

According to what script? LOL Please allow me to link some Iraq-related articles to your thread. Perhaps these items give a broader perspective to the domestic battle over Iraq. I find Senator Levin's answer to direct questions this morning on TV, painfully misdirected and vague. The Senator would not even congratulate the administration's effort in NK and tried to take credit himself and for Democrats. Once again, he asnwered the question, "Aren't there positive signs coming out of Iraq?" with "Iraq policy is and was failed. No escaltion will work and withdrawing will have a better chance for stability than sending more troops." (paraphrased)Perhaps McCain didn't want to aggravate an ulcer.

An Israeli Point of View

An Arab Point of View

What Bobby Explained a Month Ago I hope he can post soon and upadte his take on things in Iraq.

The Media's Attempt to Position Domestic Opinion Against US Policy Towards Iran. This is all about making America the warmonger and Iran a reasonable Party. LOL

Chomsky Weighs in n Iraq and Iran This discourse underscores the anti-war wing now taking up residence in the Democrat's House. Please read carefully. Talk about propoganda.

Name this Weapon

Iraq is about America's foreign policy. It is about how determined we are to support Kerry's declaration to prevent Iran's natural right to nukes, demanding Palestians recognize Israel and renounce terror, the containment of Jihadism and even opposing our "partner's" obstruction of human rights and international security. As long as Democrats take Levin's line that Iraq strategy has lost Iraq and that any use of force is "escalation to be opposed", Congressional moves are theater designed for 2008.

Amazingly, Democrats will lose this game which is why I advocate a different strategy. Let them try to cut funding or continue to parrot our enemies.

Understanding the Sunni/ Shia Rift

Well Democrats haven't gotten as nasty as this (note the zionist reference placed on Assad)

Well, back to C3's thread on the Congressional battle and the missing Senators. I hope I haven't derailed the thread with news updates.

How could I have forgotten this? Please note the cartoon about Hillary and Obama. With friends like these......Now back to the regularly scheduled programming.......

According to one speculation I saw, things are going according to script in the Senate. If the Dems succeed in their anti-surge resolution, and then the surge turns out to work, the President gets all the credit, and the Dems are on record opposing the strategy that finally worked. If they voted on it and it failed to pass, then they obviously lack some political power, and they've endorsed the surge, practically.

By having the only votes be on cloture, the Dems have never actually voted against the surge, they can complain about "obstructionist" Republicans (pulling from the scripts the Republicans used against them in the judicial confirmation battles).

Voting only on cloture is a win-win for all the politicians.

I like that Condi is now using the vote in the Senate and House as a diplomatic tool according to Carl Levin(D) on Fox News
"Interestingly enough, while we’re being criticized at the White House for having this debate, Condi Rice over in Baghdad was using the fact that Congress is moving towards restricting the presence of American troops in her effort to put pressure on the Iraqi leaders to tell them yesterday in Baghdad hey, folks, you better get your political act together, because look, Congress is about to restrict in a number of possible ways the president in terms of American presence in Iraq.

It’s interesting that finally they understand the power of what we are doing in the Congress."

and from the NYT of 2/18
Ms. Rice said she used the restiveness in Washington to underline for Iraqi officials the spread of American frustration with Iraq’s lagging political and economic progress.