Dems Bring Out The Short Leash

Daily Kos and CBS both report that House Democrats are getting ready to propose legislation to fund the Iraq War for only two months. The idea is to make the President come back for war funding again in July and September and was developed by John Murtha and David Obey.

In essense, what the Democrats are courting is a second veto of Iraq war funding from President Bush. Perhaps "seeking" is a better word. Murtha and Obey have to know that President Bush is likely to veto a two-month funding bill. That's especially the case with the kicker they're putting in that Congress has to decide in July whether they are going to fund another two months of the war or fund a withdrawal of American combat forces.

The President and the Republicans have been playing chicken with the Democrats ever since Democratic majorities took over the House and the Senate in January. They've been especially eager to paint the Democrats into the funding cut-off corner. But the Dems have responded to every Republican gesture by becoming more aggressive--by moving from non-binding resolutions to deadlines for withdrawal to the possibility of legislation mandating the withdrawal of combat forces. Even if the Obey/Murtha legislation is vetoed, the Democrats have introduced the powerful new idea of mandating withdrawal into political debate.

This is the right path for the Democrats to take. The main imperative for the Democrats is to take control of the war out of the hands of the Bush administration and then end direct participation by American combat forces.

Sending up another bill to be vetoed is another step toward ending the war altogether.