Centerfield

A dose of honesty?

Congressman Brian Baird who represents the 3rd District of Washington, and is by all accounts a liberal who voted against the war, has had a change of heart.

From the Seattle Times:

"We're on the ground now. We have a responsibility to the Iraqi people and a strategic interest in making this work," Baird told The Olympian newspaper after a recent trip to Iraq...

"People may be upset. I wish I didn't have to say this," said Baird, who is under pressure from liberal-leaning groups in his southwest Washington district to support a troop withdrawal.

The United States needs to continue with its current "surge" of military troops "at least into early next year, then engage in a gradual redeployment," said Baird, a five-term lawmaker. "I know it's going to cost hundreds of American lives and hundreds of billions of dollars..."

His comments are based on two beliefs, Baird said:

"One, I think we're making real progress. Secondly, I think the consequences of pulling back precipitously would be potentially catastrophic for the Iraqi people themselves, to whom we have a tremendous responsibility ... and in the long run chaotic for the region as a whole and for our own security."

Hmmm... I think this brings up all sorts of interesting questions.

Is Queen Nancy going to pull out her bull-whip? Is Baird on to something politically?

The Democrats biggest gamble is that the surge isn't going to work, but Bush's persistance, no matter what you think of it, has created the scenario that in order for Democrats to win elections, Iraq has to continue to be a failure. In the long term, is that really the smartest political strategy? Sure it worked in 2006, but would that be the case if Republican corruption had not been another piece of the pie? It isn't as if the poll numbers for Congress are any higher than the President's.

Are more Democrats going to come to Baird's opinion? What then becomes of the current political landscape?