Administration Has No Way Out Of Iraq

The administration has no way out. The first step is to acknowledge that sending more American troops to do the job of the Iraqis is wrong, that’s what this resolution is going to say. The next step will be to try to leverage the President to compel the Iraqis to get a political settlement to their civil wars so the country can calm down and we can leave. How we do that, what’s the best way to leverage them, I’m not sure. But I think today’s vote will pretty much unmistakably show the majority of the country disagrees with the President’s policy. That doesn’t have a legal affect but it has a political affect. It effects people who are running for office and making decisions on spending bills and other decisions.

The less partisan this is, the broader the support is the more likely the Congress will be more aggressive. I do think there is a correlation between the number of Republican votes and how aggressive the Democrats will be.