Hi, I'm the Progressive Movement and I'm an Addict. Posted by Heather Hurlburt

Hi, I'm the progressive movement and I'm an addict.  Rather, I'm lots of addicts co-dependent on the other addicts whose ideas I say I want to defeat in the name of a better progressive movement.

Yes, that means you, Code Pink, who can't think of anyone more to blame for the mess in Iraq than Hillary Clinton.

But it also means you, Anonymous Sources, whose first reaction to hearing a fellow Dem voice an Iraq strategy you don't like is... rush to the media (anonymously) and make sure it gets even more attention!  You know who you are.

** update -- EJ Dionne wrote this same point very eloquently on the 13.  What he said.

Now, everybody, look up from your twelve-step handbooks and consider the conservative movement.  They, too, are split on Iraq.  John McCain wants to put in more troops; Congressman Walter Jones wants a faster timetable for a pullout.

And President Bush says he is in it until victory, even though his Pentagon seems to be getting ready to draw down next year.

But is that in the papers every day?  No.

Why?  No, not because of a right-wing media conspiracy.  Because most Republicans are too disciplined to discuss it -- and, frankly, because at least some of them are probably too busy figuring out how to carve each other up with stilettos.  Quietly.

Folks, we are sucking up all the oxygen that ought to be going to serious debate of serious issues around Iraq -- or, failing that, at least to fan the fire around the Administration's failures.  That is MORE IMPORTANT than Murtha vs. Lieberman, Pelosi vs. Hoyer, or Dean vs. everybody.

Positive plans are great -- gives people something to think about, Americans something hopeful to hold onto, and can even be used to push back on other plans.  We have lots to say that is positive and pro-active.

But the next time somebody's plan shows up in your inbox, and you take five minutes to write a critique -- stop before you hit global send.  Please.  None of us is going in the history books for the effectiveness of our hatchet jobs on this war.

For my (very small) part, I hereby vow not to his the "progressive strategy" category on our democracyarsenal menu until 2006.  Remember, you get sober one day at a time.

Comments

[Jeff Younger]

Heather, the plan all along was to begin a draw-down.

Don’t get me wrong. I realize the effectiveness of the “falling tree” rhetorical strategy. Remember Reagan saying “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” knowing full well it was scheduled for demolition in three weeks?!

This situation is different. You can be assured that the administration will be able to pull out 2002 theater battle plans with draw-down criteria. Such plans will allow the administration to paint liberals as spineless, as just now getting on the victory train when all the risk is gone.

Reagan opponents didn’t have that trump card.

[Mark Lindeman]

Great post. And ooh, I really like the end of that WaPo story:

"Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Tex.), who represents a district Bush won easily in 2004, said he disagrees with Pelosi and Dean but does not see that as a problem. 'The national press is playing up the fact that Democrats do not speak with one voice on Iraq,' he said. 'We should wear it as a badge of honor because it shows we are not playing a political line with war and peace.'"

Wouldn't it be great if we could make it work that way? (Am I just having a John Lennon moment over here?)

[John Penta]

Yeah, but it's a bit hard to imagine actually happening, Mark.

Meanwhile...Am I the only one that read that title, then repeated it whistling "I'm a lumberjack, and I'm OK..."?

:-)
(It's my birthday. I have a right to be silly.)

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