"We gave the president that power to destroy Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and, if necessary, to depose Saddam Hussein," Biden said of the 2002 resolution in a speech last week before the Brookings Institution. "The WMD was not there. Saddam Hussein is no longer there. The 2002 authorization is no longer relevant to the situation in Iraq.Anyone who was concerned that non-binding resolutions were too nice, well Harry Reid just gave you your answer. The non-binding resolution was a necessary first step. A legislative shot across the bow. And the Republicans killed it. So now we have no choice but to try sterner stuff. The Republicans can't complain that what we're proposing is too extreme, too risky, when they refused to let us try the non-extreme, non-risky alternative. Anyone who complains about Democrats "micro-managing the war" will need to explain why, then, they didn't let the Congress pass a bipartisan resolution that wasn't micro-managing the war at all. We gave Bush and the Republicans a chance and they blew it.
Biden and Levin are drafting language to present to their colleagues when the Senate reconvenes on Tuesday, following a week-long recess.
The new framework would set a goal for withdrawing combat brigades by March 31, 2008, the same timetable established by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. Once the combat phase ends, troops would be restricted to assisting Iraqis with training, border security and counterterrorism.
Senior Democratic aides said the proposed resolution would be sent directly to the Senate floor for action, without committee review, possibly as an amendment to a homeland security bill scheduled for debate next week."
I like this, a lot. And I suspect a majority of the American people are going to like this. And that matters now, and through 2008. The American people no longer support this war. As George Will said recently, there is no anti-war movement, we are an anti-war nation. Republicans oppose our ongoing, ever-increasing efforts to stop the madness at their own peril.
