Now is a good time for clear thinking and speaking. If we intend to succeed (and it is vital that we do), then we must persist. If the "surge" doesn't work, then more troops and different strategies should be employed.Exactly. I could respect Sen. Warner, et. al., if they'd voted against Petraeus. General, we love you, you're a great man, but we can't support the "surge." That would have been honest. But to confirm him and then vote this "non-binding resolution" (non-binding on whom, we might ask? Non-binding on the conscience of the Senators; I suspect it will be binding on the hearts and wills of our enemies) is...feckless, to use my new favorite word because, unfortunately, the most apt to describe the positions not only of our politicians, but also our punditry....all the elites.
If we are going to throw in the towel, then we should bring the troops home promptly, lick our wounds and prepare for the inevitable Third Gulf War, which we will have to fight under far worse conditions than currently. Either of those options are at least host (although the latter is dangerously foolish).
But the current mentality in Washington -- to pretend that there is a third way between victory and defeat -- is morally despicable.
A few other worthy reads, just to save time:
WSJ chats with the President.
VDH calls John Kerry an ugly American, and offers a few rules of discourse for all Americans abroad.
IVD on Bush's record.
I read these pieces all over, but curtsy to RCP, where I collected the links.
UPDATE: And this is quite graceful, for a shrub.
