Carol Platt Liebau: Encouraging News

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Encouraging News

Good news comes today from the Weekly Standard.

Matthew Continetti notes that there's a good chance that when the politicians leave Washington for August recess, Democrats will be playing defense, rather than offense when it comes to the war. Well, it's about time. Republicans have squandered a number of opportunities to point out the differences between themselves and Democrats when it comes to priorities in Iraq -- and on the war on terror, generally. Perhaps they've finally decided that, if they're interested in not losing badly next year, they'd be well-advised to explain that Democrats are interested primarily in treating terrorism as a law enforcement issue, not as a military one -- and highlighting the Dems' overall, disgraceful lack of seriousness.

Then Bill Kristol speculates that the defeatists may have finally overplayed their hands. I think he's on to something. No doubt that the country is sick of the war; no doubt they want it to be over. But where the defeatists have it wrong is in assuming that Americans, therefore, are willing to lose in Iraq. They're not.

If -- like the Democrats themselves -- all one cared about was the politics, it would be fine to let the defeatist caucus take responsibility for an American defeat. As the ramifications of their fecklessness became clear, they would be relegated to minority status for a generation.

Of course, the stakes for American national security are simply too high to let that happen. And so it's time for those who take the war and our security seriously to press whatever new openings they may have been offered as a result of Democratic overreaching.

2 Comments:

Blogger Bachbone said...

I hope the article is correct, Carol, but given the so-called "leadership" by both Senate and House GOP "leaders," plus the often disingenuous reports on how some GOP members would vote on the immigration bills, I won't hold my breath for the final outcome of any GOP victories as long as its "leadership" is so inept or cowed.

1:27 PM  
Blogger Greg said...

I think America in general and Republicans in particular suffered greatly because no Republican stepped up to the plate to help President Bush articulate the importance of victory in Iraq. Under the "leadership" of Senator Frist, Senate Republicans showed zero back bone. This allowed the Democrats' strategy of defeating America through endless negative press to take hold.

Only the President stood firm.

It would have been helpful for America and the rest of the world for someone to help Bush in the area he needs it most - public communication. Frist & company dropped the ball.

But still President Bush stood firm.

If the U.S. Senate can avoid a complete collapse of judgement and let the U.S. military win the war in Iraq (and the wider war on Islamic Fascism), the Middle East will be changed forever for the better. And America and the rest of the world will be a safer place.

7:11 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Google