I agree with you, Mitch. This piece should be more skeptical of Pelosi's "strength in lack of cohesion" point. But while I see the "diverse stances" quote (which, to be fair is attributed to Pelosi - not in the writer's voice), I don't find the corresponding "fragmenting into dozens of pieces" quote referring to the Republicans' stance. If you could provide a link to a news story that characterizes the Republicans position that way, I'd be grateful.

"There is no one Democratic voice...and there is no one Democratic position."

Yup. There's the voice and postion that never makes it on the news shows, in the newspapers, etc. Joe Lieberman is front and center ALL the time. Not.

AC,

Dozens = hyperbole. But don't tell me you haven't noticed the clucking about the "rift" between moderate and conservative GOPers on any number of issues this past year? Spending? The war? Fed Court and SCOTUS nominees? Tastes Great/Less Filling?

Happily that "rift" doesn't bother Bush. He IS in a bubble, after all.

The observation that the Dems aren't united on the war ain't news. It goes back to the start of the war. Republicans breaking ranks with their party's strict discipline is news, which has a lot to do with Bush's lame-duck status, Rove's exposure to possible indictment in the Plame investigation and growing unpopularity of the war. Disunited Dems is dog bites man. Disunited Republicans is man bites dog.

Mitch,

The Democrats are the MINORITY, it's not their obligation to have a unified policy, they do not have the ability to implement one. Their responsibility is dissent, dissent to ensure the President actually fulfills his commitments, and does so within the law.

Once again, you seek to focus on the boogey-man, rather than concern yourself with the issue, specifically, that the President's so-called policy is basically nothing more than a cobbled-together set of miscues and blunders that have alienated the Iraqi people, and threaten to sink it into civil war. I have no desire to see Houssien in power, but I'm going to venture a guess that between civil war and repression, repression is the lesser of two evils. We've liberated Iraq, but to what end?

The news today that the President approved doubtlessly illegal wire-taps is distressing. We wire-tap 500 people, and we get what, Ahmed Hamdi and Jose' Padilla, both of whom are very unlikely to have resulted from this policy. His actions continue to be nearly illegal (if not illegal), to no competent conclusion. We've bagged nearly no one, and we've created a problem in Iraq by failing to recognize that this was a highly unstable, difficult situation, and we go in ham-handed.

So Trumpet the President on generalities that fail to adress the root problems, and assualt the Dems because they aren't leading. THEY DONT HAVE TO LEAD, they are the minority. Keep wasting time and effort on your attacks. It's the only thing Karl Rove (and thereby the lapdog right) knows how to do and also because your policies are something you'd rather not discuss.

PB

"We've bagged nearly no one, and we've created a problem in Iraq by failing to recognize that this was a highly unstable, difficult situation, and we go in ham-handed."

I've witnessed selective perception before, but this is amazing. Weren't you complaining about all the prisoners being "totured" ar Abu Grahib and Gitmo? And that whole democracy in Iraq thing is quite the problem.

"...the Dems because they aren't leading. THEY DONT HAVE TO LEAD, they are the minority."

Thank God for that.

PB: "The Democrats are the MINORITY, it's not their obligation to have a unified policy, they do not have the ability to implement one."

In other words the Dems don't stand a chance of agreeing on this, so it better not be of major importance to the country or they'll never get back into power. *sheesh*

"...I'm going to venture a guess that between civil war and repression, repression is the lesser of two evils."

I seem to recall a generation of remarkable men who in 1776 disagreed rather strongly with that statement. You do realize that the War of Independence was also a civil war, correct? I find it a shame that their philosophy has become passe amoungst today's Democrats.

I don't know what the final state of Iraq will be after their elections, but they'll have had a chance to make a choice and I suspect they won't put into place another tyranny. Frankly, I think the Afghani will have a better time of it since they have recent memories of what a religous theocracy is like.

"Their responsibility is dissent, dissent to ensure the President actually fulfills his commitments, and does so within the law."

The Democrats' responsibility is not dissent! Their responsibility to craft the best policy possible for this country and to present that to the country. It may be that they agree with their opposition, but their responsibility should be to the country first and not to power. The Republicans in Congress are in the process of losing their prinicples to power politics, but it seems that the Democrats' haven't begun to recover theirs yet. When they do, I'll consider them, but as of today they aren't there.

Quoth the PB...

"The news today that the President approved doubtlessly illegal wire-taps is distressing. We wire-tap 500 people, and we get what, Ahmed Hamdi and Jose' Padilla, both of whom are very unlikely to have resulted from this policy. His actions continue to be nearly illegal (if not illegal), to no competent conclusion. We've bagged nearly no one, and we've created a problem in Iraq by failing to recognize that this was a highly unstable, difficult situation, and we go in ham-handed."

Don't care how many of these camel jockeys we have to wiretap, PB...were at f*cking war or have you forgotten 9/11.

,,,oh and if you have not heard the Iraqi elections were a success...must be killing you since BushChimpyRovianVonHitler has won another one for being a barely articulate Texas pol.

..next stop by us and our Israeli friends is to give a buzzing carpet ride to President Maumoud Asshole of Iran and his nukes program and the mullahs...coming soon in the new year..and we will make it look like those mullah POS's started it!!

Can't wait until I see your head explodes when that happens PB...

...I have started to realize PB you are a c*nt pure and simple and have a raging Bush Derangement Symdrone case...

Have a nice day.

Thanks!!! furniture Very nice site.I enjoy being here.

Thanks!!! furniture Very nice site.I enjoy being here.