Democrats: Winning, One Loss at a Time

Dubbya has done it again. George W. Bush -a lame duck President, riding out the second of two disastrous terms, presiding over an ill-conceived and unpopular war, enjoying the support of less than 30% of Americans, surrounded by a diminishing number of close friends many of whom are themselves under investigation for various forms of malfeasance - has managed to score a political victory over the Democratic majority in Congress.

After their first bill was vetoed, Congress yesterday reached a new low by approving almost $95 billion dollars in extra funding for the war in Iraq, without any attached withdrawal plan. Democrats then showed off their versatility - that rare combination of spinelessness and shamelessness not seen since the run-up to the war itself. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out an e-mail, bragging about their humiliating capitulation! If you have the stomach for it, you can read it here, courtesy of Daily Kos. “This debate will go on,” vowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Bravo, Nancy, bravo.

The bill establishes a series of goals for the Iraqi government to meet as it strives to build a democratic country able to defend its own borders. Continued U.S. reconstruction aid would be conditioned on progress toward the so-called benchmarks, although Mr. Bush retains the authority to order that the funds be spent regardless of how the Baghdad government performs.

All of this has no doubt been confusing for voters who elected a Democratic Congress on the promise of a "change in direction" and as a direct rebuke of the President's Iraq policy. Perhaps sensing their ownership of shamelessness slipping, House Republicans sent in their leader John Boehner to play the 9/11 card, and to tearfully reiterate the long-ago debunked myth of a link between the terror attacks and Iraq.

John Boehner of Ohio choked back tears as he stirred memories of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “After 3,000 of our fellow citizens died at the hands of these terrorists, when are we going to take them on? When are we going to defeat them,” he asked.

But Boehner needn't cry too much. When Congress plays the Shame Game, everyone's a winner.