The House Republicans are a pathetic bunch. No wonder they can't come up with a strategy to fight the Iraq war. They can't even figure out why they're fighting against the anti-escalation resolution. But, to defend George Bush, those GOPers are vigorously opposing the resolution. Based on Dana Milbank's profile of the GOP's leader, Adam Putnam (R-FL), it's clear they really have no idea why:
There was good reason for this anxiety. As head of the House Republican Conference, the 32-year-old redhead is leading his caucus into a public-opinion meat grinder: supporting President Bush's increase of U.S. troops in Iraq, against the wishes of more than 60 percent of Americans. Worse, he is leading them with a pair of somewhat contradictory arguments: (a) that the Democrats' resolution opposing Bush's Iraq buildup is a meaningless gesture, and (b) that the Democrats' resolution will cause the end of civilization as we know it.Actually, the GOP's response to the Iraq war for the past four years has been toothless and catastrophic.
"This is a rather toothless 97 words," Putnam began in his floor speech, calling the proposal "a narrow nonbinding resolution that misses the bigger picture." Minutes later, he changed his view. "The majority would have us consider a resolution that puts us one day closer to handing militant Islamists a safe haven the size of California."
So which one is it: toothless or catastrophic?
