Harry Reid Versus Success In Iraq

These are tough times for Democrats and the leadership in the House and Senate. They staked their political fortunes on bad things happening in Iraq, which they eventually hoped would sway enough votes so that they could demand withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, and handing the country to the wolves.

A funny thing happened on the way though.

The US military succeeded in what appears to be a fatal blow to the insurgency in Iraq. Attacks are down significantly, and the economic and political situation is improving.

It's been improving since the summer, but Sen. Harry Reid has been pronouncing defeat and retreat the entire time.

Well, he's now engaged in another kind of defeat and retreat - from his position on Iraq. And he's clearly trying to have it both ways too, engaging in more than a substantial bit of projection:

SEN. HARRY REID: Ray, you can't have it both ways. The president said, "Let's send some more troops over there, and that will give the Iraqis the time to take care of themselves." We sent other troops over there, and there are a lot of reasons the surge certainly hasn't hurt. It's helped. I recognize that.

He still doesn't recognize that his strategy of cutting the troops funding and withdrawing them (which has been his strategy since he became Majority Leader, would have been a fatal blow to Iraq, and the US efforts to defend itself going forward.

Indeed, attempting to cut funding and eliminating US forces in Iraq before the military mission is accomplished in Iraq remain his chief goal, and indeed that is the goal of the leftists in the Democratic party in both the House and the Senate.

Harry Reid is a fool, and this is what passes for leadership in the Senate.