Half Measures Are Unacceptable - The New Magic Number is 41

If it pursues half-measures on Iraq, the Democratic leadership is abdicating its responsibilities to the American people.

The American people want this war over, now.

The American people want the troops home, now.

Not just in time for Christmas.

Not next July.

Not Halloween 2008.

NOW.

Our party should abide the will of the American people, and do everything in their power to bring the troops home NOW.  The key to this is finding 41 Senators fully, completely and totally committed to this principle.  

Follow me on the flip.

Recently, an astute diarist asked,  "What will it take to wake these Zombies?".  He was referring to the Democratic party members who, with large majorities of the American people demanding an end to the American occupation of Iraq, continue to insist on keeping our troops in that country.  

Then, in Bush plays Texas hold'em better than Reid/Pelosi that same diarist presciently wrote that Bush/Petraeus was set to announce a "withdrawal" of the troops that comprised the "surge" so that he could achieve a signficant political victory

But, wait, you say.  The Democratic Party is not keeping the troops in Iraq.  It is all President Bush's fault.  

Well, I have news for you.  The Democratic Party controls the Congress.  Oh wait, that's not news.

But, it's still true.

If the Democratic Party believed that this stragetegically, morally, legally and prudentially bankrupt war should be ended, THAT THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ BY 130,000 AMERICAN TROOPS SHOULD END....

If they believed that, in fact, SAID OCCUPATION, was not making America safer, but rather making our country less secure...

they would have an obligation to do everything in their power to end this war.

But wait, you say, the Democratic Party knows how to play Texas hold'em better than Bush.  

Oh really?  Well then, I say, it's time for them to start playin'.  

Here's my plan.  Many will say that it harkens back to the 1995 fiasco where the Republican Congressional majority was schooled by Clinton.  I say no.  I say that fiasco is not similar to this situation in many respects, the key difference being that this situation involves a very, very unpopular war, while the 1995 fiasco involved a budget.  Two very different battles.  

The key for the Democratic Party is to start playing high stakes Texas hold 'em with Bush.  

Bush wants nominees confirmed?  Reid: "Fuck you George, end the occupation."

Bush wants a supplemental military spending bil?  Pelosi: "Fuck you George, when will you listen to the American people and end the occupation?"

And so on.

This should be well-planned.  There should be a media rollout and full announcement of what the Dems are doing and why.

In other words, shut the government down until Bush complies.

That is what a good Texas hold 'em player would do.

And btw, it's what we elected the Democratic Congress to do in 2006.

Oh, and it's also what the American people want.

One final note, this need not be a strategy undertaken by the Democratic leadership.  41 Senators can make this happen tomorrow by stating the following:  

Because the continued occupation of Iraq is so detrimental to American national security interests, we 41 Senators cannot stand by while the President and this Congress twiddle their thumbs, and thumb their noses at the expressed will of the American people.  The United States must end the occupation of Iraq today.  And we 41 will filibuster any attempts to bring ANY legislation to the floor of the Senate for a vote until the President and this Congress comes to its senses.

41.  The new magic number.

**UPDATE: h/t to Major Danby for correcting me.  We need 41. Good. Senators.  41.