Eating Crow

I happily breakfast on crow this morning as it appears the Democrats have retaken the House and may take the Senate pending some to--close--to--call races. This puts an important check in place. That is, the Dems will now be able to play effective defense. On offense, I am less hopeful. If nothing else, the Republicans have always been an ideologically cohesive and disciplined party, The Dems, less so. they are th egreat party of everyone else. I really do not see much of anything that suggests the Dems can create a ruling coalition, but so often it is the winning that creates the agenda.

My point is illustrated by the Democrats lack of a clear position on Iraq. Last night on MSNBC Chris Matthews asked Howard Dean (whom I respect) why one more US soldier should die in Iraq or why a US soldier should take a single additional Iraqi life. Dean had little answer. Later, Rahm Emmanuel was asked the same question. Rahm did a little better, reciting the "Five Rs"; however, those are a litte like a handful of sand.

Right now, it is a very close question whether US forces are serving any-- even a marginal --purpose in Iraq, close enough that I would err on the side of pulling them out. I think too often the warring factions in Iraq use the presence of US forces as cover for their real agendas. Without a US boogeyman, the Iraqis may see their way clear to some form of government beyond rule of the best armed militia. Redeployment would also take the steam out of any argument that the US intends to hold Iraq as some sort of colonial protectorate, which could begin to mend some fences in the Middle East.

But I digress. For now, we can breathe a little easier knowing that our President no longer has plenary power. I foresee this respite as short.