Democrats: We Want Seats Not Facts

Harry "Shadow Boxer" Reid has such a way of periodically saying it like it is, when saying it like it is does the Dems no favors. A short time ago Harry Reid made a statement that underscores what is at the heart of himself and his fellow Dems. He said "We're going to pick up Senate seats as a result of this war." If you observe any babies, you will notice times that they get so excited that they flex just about every muscle in their little bodies at once and squeal. It is quite a sight. This ill advised statement by the Shadow Boxer seems to be just such a flush of uncontrolled excitement. It also exposes the top thing on their minds: power. I am not naive enough to think the GOP does not also want power. However, this accidental candid moment tells us all we need to know about the direction they want to take Iraq. They want the US to withdraw in defeat out of Iraq, where they will hammer the issue until election day. All the while they will be trying to picture themselves as the caring benefactors who brought the troops home.

We see this agenda underscored by the new tactic of ignoring facts and ducking meetings that would present such facts. The HotAir.com blog points out the various actions by the Dems on Iraq:
- Reid's claim that the war is "lost"
- Murtha's plan to defund the war with his "slow bleed" strategy
- Pelosi avoiding the briefing with General Petraeus
- Pelosi and other Dems have already skipped two other Petraeus briefings on March 8th and April 9th.

This is on top of Reid all but calling Petraeus a liar by stating in an interview that he would not believe if the General stated there was any progress in Iraq. Of course Reid "believes" Petraeus enough to quote him saying the situation in Iraq cannot be won militarily. One problem. Reid misquotes him to his advantage. Petraeus said we could not win in Iraq "militarily alone".

Yes, Reid's words and the actions of the Dems expose their lust to win more seats at the expense of a US defeat in Iraq. They are very foolish in their thinking, though. All of the politics, all of the words, all of the posturing, all of the olympic efforts to extract us out of Iraq boils down to one thing: Democratic Ownership of the Defeat. A Wall Street Journal editorial today points out just that very thing(emphasis mine):

Mr. Reid has since tried to "clarify" that remark, and in a speech Monday he laid out his own strategy for Iraq. But perhaps we ought to be grateful for his earlier candor in laying out the strategic judgment--and nakedly political rationale--that underlies the latest Congressional bid to force a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq starting this fall. By doing so, he and the Democrats are taking ownership of whatever ugly outcome follows a U.S. defeat in Iraq.

The UK Guardian (no friend of the decision to go into Iraq) describes what that "ugly outcome" would likely be (hat tip Captain's Quarters):

The so-called axis of moderate Arab states - comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan - dreads an early US withdrawal. First, because it would be widely interpreted as an American defeat, which would weaken these pro-American regimes while both energising and radicalising their populations.

Second, if the US leaves, the emergence of a Shia regime in Iraq - in itself an offensive prospect to them - would only be a matter of time. Facing Arab antipathy, this regime would be likely to look eastward and forge close ties with its Iranian co-religionists. In the view of most Arabs, this would present a formidable challenge, setting in motion a series of dangerous events - an Iranian-Iraqi alliance; political and material support from Arab countries being offered to disgruntled Iraqi Sunni groups; retaliation by Iraqi forces; and the threat of broader regional involvement.

Third, a US departure risks triggering Iraq's partition. As some Arabs see it, the occupation is what holds the country together. So long as coalition forces are deployed, a full-blown breakup can be avoided.

However, none of this seems to matter to the Dems. They seem only to be interested in SEATS. They seem also to be confident that the MSM will cover for them when a massacre ensues in Iraq after our withdrawal. So look for the Shadow Boxer and the Stumbler to continue closing their eyes, plugging their ears and saying a continuous mantra of "nah, nah, nah, nah, I can't hear you, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, I can't hear you..."