Second Thots

A common reason given for the unpopularity of the Democrat controlled Congress is that it hasn't been anti-war enough. Of course, this reasoning is often served up by the left.

However, something occurred to me as I was reading this analysis of the failings of Congress. That is, it may well be that the Democrats have overplayed the anti-war card to their detriment.

What did Americans want in the 2006 elections? They wanted a change in direction in Iraq. Well, that's exactly what Bush gave. Not only is the surge a major shift in war strategy, as is the appointment of General Petraeus to lead the effort, but it appears to be experiencing some major successes on the ground. Even anti-war Democrats are starting to acknowledge this.

So the efforts that the Democrats have engaged in to stymie the surge might well have backfired.

If this is true, then the political strategy that Pelosi and gang have engaged in has failed. Instead of trying to sabotage the surge, they should have taken credit for forcing the president into engaging in the new tactic.

Think about it. If they would have done that, they could have taken ownership of the Iraq issue if and when Petraeus issues a positive report to Congress. Instead, they'll be on the defensive once again on issues of national security — all because they played to their anti-war base. Oh well.