August 23, 2007

Thoughts On What Could Possibly Be Changing the Minds of the Dems, on Iraq

From U.S. News and World Report: "Momentum Shifting To GOP In Iraq Debate" - discussing how the views of key Dem lawmakers are now shifting in favor of our work in Iraq - our noble, heroic, difficult work, to bring Democracy and Capitalism to the heart of the Mid East - the accomplishment of which would be a historic achievement that would assist greatly in bringing Islam out of the dark ages that many of its practitioners still inhabit, of rage and hatred against non-Muslims.

Now, what could possibly have happened, to change the minds of these key Dem lawmakers?

It turns out that it was a little tiny thing called, checking out the facts. They actually went to Iraq and found out what was going on:

...the eyewitness reports from individual Democratic lawmakers who've recently visited Iraq appear to have changed the dynamic in the debate over the war. The Kansas City Star's "The Buzz," for example, reports Democratic Rep. Brian Baird "saw enough progress on the ground that he will no longer vote for binding withdrawal timelines." Rep. Jerry McNerney "suggested that his trip to Iraq made him more flexible in his search for a bipartisan accord on the war."

This is a much more powerful strategy for decision-making, than mindlessly parroting the verbiage of the far left.

I give great credit to Baird, McNerney, and others, who have had the courage to find out the facts, and to bring that news home to their party. Every Dem lawmakers who does as they have done, earns admiration for himself, and for his party as well.

As for those Dem lawmakers who have not yet come around:

Also changing his tune is Rep. Tim Mahoney of Florida, who says the troop increase 'has really made a difference and really has gotten al-Qaida on their heels.'" As the Washington Post says this morning, "Democratic leaders in Congress had planned to use August recess to raise the heat on Republicans to break with...Bush on the Iraq war." Instead, "Democrats have been forced to recalibrate their own message in the face of recent positive signs on the security front, increasingly focusing their criticisms on what those military gains have not achieved: reconciliation among Iraq's diverse political factions."

Republican leaders and Administration officials are looking on with interest at the newly found Democratic support for the troop surge. A GOP congressional aide tells the Political Bulletin, "We think it is interesting to hear Democrats reluctantly admitting that the surge has been a tactical success. It's fascinating considering the ride they've been on since January and that all Democrats in Congress voted to condemn the surge in one form or fashion." Republicans are speculating that with the recent drop in blockbuster attacks and American troop deaths in Iraq, the Democrats are a bit concerned that pushing for an immediate withdrawal might appear defeatist.

Gee - really? After a year of Dem lawmakers saying we can't win, we've already lost, yada yada yada, they're starting to be concerned that they might look defeatist? They should be ashamed of themselves for the damage they've done by encouraging the enemy to keep fighting and trying to kill our brave troops.

I'd like to see Dems like Baird and McNerney among the future leaders of their party.