War Funding: The Democrats Capitulate

I have put considerable energy over the last few hours into trying to rationalize the decision of congressional Democrats to call a truce in the Iraq war funding battle as something other than rank capitulation.

Smart politics, perhaps.

The recognition that the compromise with the White House – which shifts the focus from a troop withdrawal deadline to imposing new conditions on the Iraqi government -- doesn’t really change much since that government can’t even wipe its own ass.

Just another step in a long and involved political dance.

But no amount of rationalizing can rinse the bad taste from my mouth.

The Democrats were given an unambiguous mandate in the mid-term elections to bring the troops home. Even though they are short of a veto-proof majority, an increasing number of Republicans were jumping ship to join them in agreeing to legislation with a troop withdrawal timeline.

But in the end, Democrats did not bow to the inevitable, as their spin doctors are depicting the decision. Nothing in this topsy turvy war is inevitable except for more unnecessary death and destruction and the failure of the Bush war policy.

No, in the end the Democrats capitulated. And lied to the American people just like the White House has lied.