Pushing Democrats in an Antiwar Direction
Democrats didn't need much help in going totally anti-war but the Nation's John Nichols says that there's enough candidates out there pushing the rest closer to an anti-war position
in this column. In his column, he cites reitring Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes' son John as the one who most eloquently states the anti-war position. Here's what the younger Sarbanes said:
Personally, I wish Democrats would more openly espouse Mr. Sarbanes' position this fall so that Mssrs. Rove and Mehlman can beat them bloody with it. It'd get pretty ugly pretty fast.
Posted Tuesday, September 12, 2006 11:37 PM
August 2006 Posts
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"The Democratic leadership in Congress must take action immediately, that means today, by petitioning the President to deliver to the appropriate committees in Congress within thirty days two proposed disengagement plans for Iraq: one that would bring our troops home within six months; the other that would bring them home within twelve months," says Sarbanes, a lawyer who is the son of retiring U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes. "In making this request, Democrats should make it clear that they will use all substantive and procedural leverage available to them to force delivery of the plans, including resisting the President's budget priorities. As long as the Pentagon and the Defense Department resist providing concrete scenarios for disengaging our troops, it is impossible to evaluate the risks and benefits of any particular course of action. The Bush Administration must get its head out of the Iraqi sand and offer the American people a meaningful plan for bringing our troops home."It isn't startling to think that someone from The Nation magazine thinks that being anti-war is a respectable progressive position. What's startling to think is that anyone could think that it's a majority opinion for a political party. Obviously, there are House districts where a candidate can get away with that position but it's foolish to think that that's a winner for a political party.
Bluntly rejecting the charge that supporters of a withdrawal timeline want to "cut-and-run," Sarbanes argues that a timeline is essential to getting the Iraqis to stand up so that Americans can stand down. "Setting a timetable for disengagement of our troops will send a clear message to the members of the Iraqi parliament, and will force them to make the compromises necessary to govern, and that they must do so quickly," argues Sarbanes.
"That requirement is inherent in our request that the Bush Administration deliver a six-month and twelve-month disengagement proposal," he adds. "In the past three years, there have been three elections in Iraq. Despite this fact, the Iraqis have yet to create a functional government. Although the Iraqis elected a parliament in January, the various ethnic groups within the parliament will have to make many difficult compromises in order to establish a stable government that is responsive to the needs of the Iraqi people. Their recent selection of a prime minister is a positive development, although we cannot overlook the fact that it took the parliament over four months to accomplish this task. The Iraqi parliament must exhibit a greater sense of urgency in standing up an effective government. Iraqi officials are less likely to do so if they believe that U.S. troops are going to remain in Iraq in large numbers for the foreseeable future."
Personally, I wish Democrats would more openly espouse Mr. Sarbanes' position this fall so that Mssrs. Rove and Mehlman can beat them bloody with it. It'd get pretty ugly pretty fast.
Sarbanes is not the only anti-war contender in the race to replace U.S. Representative Ben Cardin, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Maryland's open Senate seat. For instance, another leading contender, state Senator Paula Hollinger calls the war "a catastrophic failure" and promises to "hold the Bush administration accountable for its actions." Complaining that, "in spite of the incompetence of the Bush administration, Congress continues to defer to the White House on the war," Hollinger pledges to call "for hearings to investigate the abuses of power perpetrated by the Bush administration and for the firing of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld."Ms. Hollinger should be specific about the supposed "abuses of power perpetrated by the Bush administration" that she perceives. Is she critical of the SWIFT program? The NSA's Terrorist Surveillance Program? The Patriot Act? I'll guarantee that if Democrats run against these programs nationwide that we'll see the GOP clean Democrats' clocks this November.
Posted Tuesday, September 12, 2006 11:37 PM
August 2006 Posts
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