David Brooks on the Democrat Iraq Dilemma

"The Democratic leaders don’t want to be for immediate withdrawal because it might alienate the centrists, and they don’t want to see out the surge because that would alienate the base. What they want to do is be against Bush without accepting responsibility for any real policy, so they have concocted a vaporous policy of distant withdrawal that is divorced from realities on the ground.

Say what you will about President Bush, when he thinks a policy is right, like the surge, he supports it, even if it’s going to be unpopular. The Democratic leaders, accustomed to the irresponsibility of opposition, show no such guts."

This excerpt from David Brooks' column today reveals the Democrat dilemma on Iraq. Without a viable policy alternative, they cannot be taken seriously. Their posturing is seen as pure politics. They have put that ahead of the national interest. Sad, but not unexpected. They will wish they had not put themselves in this position.