I’m fairly sure dunderheadedness is not a word. But it is what comes to mind when reading about this whole political “showdown” going on in DC at the moment. The Democrats are sending legislation to President Bush with a time line for removing troops from Iraq. The President will veto the legislation. He’s actually already complained that the legislation contains non-Iraq domestic spending measures. Things like… gasp…. disaster relief for farmers.
Can some real leaders please step up?
The Democrats are on course to jump that proverbial shark, pushing Bush so far into a corner that they will begin to be seen as bullies who are trying to take over foreign policy from the President of the United States. People may be pissed as pigs at Bush but they do recognize him as the elected president and the White House clearly senses the the Democrats may be overplaying their hand. They’ve scheduled a Bush press conference at 6:10pm (right before the evening news broadcasts). The Dems would be wise to not push this too far or else it will backfire on them and Bush’s popularity will only increase (after all, he doesn’t have a whole lot further to fall).
Bush is also right – to just up and leave Iraq now would be a nightmare. For worse and for worse we are actually facing a situation in Iraq that bears some resemblance to why we went into Iraq in the first place – terrorists running around, complete instability, etc. It is a horror beyond a horror that we have created this situation. It is something history will certainly judge one of the greatest and most arrogant of foreign policy blunders. But to leave now? What would follow would be hell – a humanitarian crisis of great scale would ensue, terrorists would have an even freer reign, etc. This whole thing is truly, truly unbelievable. What would Jesus do here? He would not be supporting this war. But what does that mean? I have no clue.