The Real Hard Ball Is What Counts

In deciding whether or not to vote for John McCain for president, conservative Republicans as well as independents and disaffected Democrats must consider the antics of leading Democrats on the subject of the War on Terrorism. Senator Clinton, remembering full well the Clinton Administration’s concerns and policies, was for the pre-emptive strike into Iraq before she was against it. Shades of Senator (flip-flop) Kerry. Senator Obama is for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, but wants to invade Pakistan, a complex Muslim country that has been as staunch an ally to us as possible.

Senate Majority Leader Reid, fresh from his humiliation by Rush Limbaugh, has declared the Iraq War “a loss for the United States” just as the news of the success of the ‘surge’ was becoming apparent to everyone else. Now the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a liberal Democrat, has joined Reid to declare Iraq a “failure”. Even the ultra-liberal New York Times, in an editorial today, has recognized the turnaround in Iraq and its importance to the future stability of the Middle East. Of course, the Times then adds all kinds of disclaimers to their surprising admission, but their message is clear: President Bush is well on his way to success in defeating Al Qaeda and in stabilizing an area of the world rent by violence for centuries – an area critical to the continued functioning of the economies of the developed world.

Do you really want these fools to be running things unchecked by a grownup? We need to get over our concerns with McCain’s inconsistency on conservative principles and unite behind him now. We need to continue President Bush’s record of stopping further major terrorist attacks on Americans and on American interests by playing ‘hard ball’ with terrorists while maintaining good relations with Muslim countries around the world.

Pelosi calls Iraq a 'failure'
By: Mike Allen
February 10, 2008 The Politico (Excerpt)

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said twice Sunday that Iraq “is a failure,” adding that President Bush’s troop surge has “not produced the desired effect.”

“The purpose of the surge was to create a secure time for the government of Iraq to make the political change to bring reconciliation to Iraq,” Pelosi said on CNN’s “Late Edition.” “They have not done that.”
The speaker hastened to add: “The troops have succeeded, God bless them.”

Pelosi’s harsh verdict is a reminder of the dilemma for Democrats as they head into this fall’s presidential and congressional elections:

They need to make the case that the country needs to depart from the direction set by Bush. Yet they don’t want to look like naysayers at a time when Iraq has become more stable, albeit still violent.”

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New York Times
February 14, 2008
Editorial
Making (Some) Progress in Iraq

Good news is rare in Iraq. But after months of bitter feuding, Iraq’s Parliament has finally approved a budget, outlined the scope of provincial powers, set an Oct. 1 date for provincial elections and voted a general amnesty for detainees.

All these steps are essential for national conciliation. As always in Iraq, it is best to read the fine print. Final details of the legislation aren’t known. The country’s three-member presidency council must still sign off. And then the laws have to be implemented.

One month after Parliament approved a law intended to open government jobs to former members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party, American officials insist it will ensure that more former Baathists will be hired than barred. That will take a lot more good will and follow-through than Iraq’s central government has so far shown.

The Bush administration — which has displayed only intermittent interest in Iraq’s political stalemates — will have to press a lot harder to make sure that all these new laws are translated into action.

We are, of course, cheered by the news that representatives from Iraq’s three main ethnic groups — Shiite, Sunni and Kurd — finally saw some benefit in compromise.

The Kurds’ largely autonomous regional government got what it wanted — a 17 percent share of the 2008 budget. The Sunnis will be the main beneficiaries of the amnesty law since 80 percent of the detainees in Iraqi jails are Sunnis.

The third law will transfer more power to Iraq’s ethnically dominated provincial governments — something all groups say they want. There are already questions about whether the provincial governments will be ready to hold elections in October. The United States and its allies will have to move quickly to provide both funding and technical help.

And there is a lot more work to be done. Iraq’s Parliament has yet to approve a law to ensure an equitable sharing of oil revenues.

Unfortunately, Iraq’s leaders still appear to feel no real sense of urgency. And the Bush administration — which is now talking about a “pause” in the drawdown of American troops — certainly isn’t doing anything to change their minds. Right after Wednesday’s vote, Parliament members began a five-week holiday.