McConnell Vows A Fight

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised a procedural fight in the attempt by some Democrats to "unring the bell" in Iraq. He's forcing a showdown with Harry Reid over the support of the troops and he is picking his battles very carefully.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned yesterday that a new Democratic effort to repeal the 2002 Iraq war resolution would meet the same fate as two previous efforts to limit President Bush's authority: blocked by procedural obstacles, unless Democrats relent to GOP terms.

Speaking to reporters by conference call from his Louisville home, McConnell compared the latest Democratic move to "trying to unring a bell." He warned that Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq, would "have to surround himself with lawyers" to comply with the new resolution that senior Democrats are drafting.

McConnell predicted he could muster Republican support to block the measure, unless Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) allows a vote on a nonbinding GOP measure to guarantee troop funding.

A showdown over both measures could come as early as next week. Reid has signaled that Iraq-related amendments may be offered to an upcoming homeland security bill. "It's a bit of a cat-and-mouse game," a senior Democratic Senate aide said.

It is important to continue to point out just how bone-stupid these political machinations are for the Democrats. If they succeed in this, they will have set a precedent that WILL come back to bite a Democrat in the White House someday. They will also pay a serious price by virtually destroying voter confidence in their national security credentials. These are craven attempts to force a defeat on America while blatantly trying to avoid responsibility for that loss. It won't work. Voters are not as stupid as the politicians seem to think at times.