Through A Glass Darkly

I know it is hard to believe but I do read Daily Kos now and then, if for nothing more than posts like this one. Let me try to enumerate all of the illogical assumptions which go along with it:

• The Democrats 2006 election was a mandate to bring the troops home.
• The Democrats are the majority now so the Republicans will have to do what they say and bring the troops home .
• Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have the ability and congressional backing to defund the war and bring the troops home.
• All the Democrats need to do is put forward one more bill to bring the troops home ...

And now, for your reading pleasure (emphasis added) ....

com·pro·mise
1 a: settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions
Compromise. Its meaning is clear, yet whenever Democrats compromise with Republicans, they somehow manage to forget the mutual concessions part of the equation.

And now we learn, the day after reports of their latest cave-in, that they apparently can't get that right either:
The White House budget director warned on Saturday that President Bush was prepared to veto a $500 billion spending package being assembled in Congress if Democrats pushed for too much additional money for domestic programs. [...]

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, was among those who met with Mr. Nussle and he has said that money for Iraq free of conditions must be part of any final spending deal. But he described as unacceptable any Democratic effort to drive up federal spending as part of the bargain.

So, the Democrats are working on a plan that would give George Bush $70 billion more dollars for Iraq, would take timelines for troop withdrawals off the table, all in exchange for increased domestic spending. Except Bush and the Republicans are saying no dice. So what's their next canny maneuver?

Democrats say that if the deal collapses, their next step may be to strip the spending bills of individual projects sought by lawmakers, a move that would be painful for many members of both parties.

Translation? They'll still give Bush what he wants and the hell with what a majority of the American people want. That'll show him.

Said Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi:
America expects this president to lead — that means working in a bipartisan way with Congress to responsibly address our country’s priorities rather than issuing veto threats without even knowing what he is threatening to veto.

News flash, Harry and Nancy: America expects you to lead - that means working to keep your many promises to stand up to George Bush and to bring the troops home. Now, that may mean messing up your holiday plans and it might even mean that Dana Perino and Republicans say mean things about you. Suck it up. Stop compromising away your dignity and morals and do the job you were elected to do. For God's sake, fight.