New tactic from the Cut & Run Democrats

Time and again, when liberals are losing a debate, they make an attempt to introduce a new euphemism when no one is looking, in an effort to pretend they are bringing new ideas to that debate. The latest iteration can be seen in this essay from Dianne Feinstein and Chris Dodd.

"No longer should 'we will stand down when they stand up' suffice as American policy," they declare, while articulating a policy that can be summed up by those very words. This statement is preceded by a summary of the past few months' events and a laundry list of goals for Iraq's government. But basically they don't say anything substantively different from the existing Administration policy.

What is substantively different is that the Bush Administration's goal is success and victory, while the Democrat policy goal is withdrawal of U.S. troops. This latest Dem position is nothing but an attempt to camouflage this difference. Statements made by John Kerry, always demanding a date by which U.S. forces should be withdrawn, obviously appear irresponsible to anyone with common sense. A timetable based on concrete goals or benchmarks (e.g., "Iraqi forces achieve 80% manpower for routine anti-insurgent patrols in Ramadi"), which is what I would like to see, would not play well with the nutroots.