Bryan D. Brown

McClatchy Newspapers reported yesterday that the Democrats will no longer pursue a timetable of troops withdrawals from Iraq:

Democrats conceded Tuesday that their demands to begin withdrawing from Iraq can’t be included in a war-spending bill because President Bush would veto it, and they prepared to give him the money largely on his terms.

“The president has made it very clear he is not going to sign a timeline. We can’t sign timelines over his veto. But the fact of the matter is I think we have moved this debate very substantially forward in terms of accountability and demanding a new direction in Iraq,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

Democrats are working under a self-imposed deadline to finish a war-spending bill that Bush can sign this week - before the Memorial Day recess - in order to avoid holding up funds needed in combat zones and being bashed by Republicans over the holiday recess for not supporting the troops.

Way to tough it out there, Dems. You’ve waited six years to get a congressional majority, did so largely on the back of a massively unpopular war that you promised to end, and still can’t manage to show any spine - even as support for the war and for Bush continues to fall. Nicely done, way to go, no wonder you lose Presidential elections.

According to CNN, Nancy Pelosi was quoted as saying, “I think it’s a giant step to begin the end of the war.” Apparently, Pelosi is trying to utilize the Bush tactic of calling something the opposite of what it is in actuality. Oh, and congratulations, Nancy… that might be the most idiotic sentence to fly out of a Democrat’s mouth since John Kerry learned to talk. Here’s another great idea - let’s start calling tequila shots a “giant step” towards “beginning” sobriety.

John Edwards has already come out with a statement against this latest bill:

Conceding to the president on full funding for the Iraq war is a serious mistake. It is time to force an end to this war, and the only way for Congress to do that is to use its funding power. Any compromise that funds the war through the end of the fiscal year isn’t a compromise at all, it’s a capitulation. As I have said repeatedly, Congress should send the president the same bill he vetoed again and again until he realizes he has no choice but to start bringing our troops home.

Edwards is dead on here, and frankly, is looking like the only candidate I would consider voting for on the Democratic ticket. Of course, the election is still far enough away, so I imagine he’ll do something between then and now to piss me off.