WHy I am resigned to the full funding or iraq and why I don't really care.,

[Perky]

1) US Troops are going to funded regardless. Unless you are going to pull out completely now...you have to fully support the troops for both militarily and for domestic political consideration. Pelosi and Reid have already said as much...and to go back on that promise now would not play well at all.

2) the real issue is going to be the 2008 funding. Bush is going to have to submit the request on budget and he is going to have to defend it when the american people do not want the war and their is not going to be much oxygen in the room after the Petraeus report in September. the GOP does not want the albatross around their neck in the run-up to the 08 congressional election.

3) the 2008 Presidential election is going to be about Iraq and Republican intransigence on the war. Beyond the 32-35% loyal bushies there is growing concern that there is no hope for 2008. I suspect that either one or two of their guys who are running is going to break ranks and say that the ware is not going to be won and blame al-maliki. I suspect it will be Guiliani because he is going to see the opening with so many disgusted fiscal conservatives. Somebody is going to have to take a lets end the ware path because of the Hagel boomlet. Hagel is going to jump in and grab the GOP middle. (McCain can't and Romney if he does will be seen as a flip flopper) and the field is scared to death of a Gingrich candidacy because he will grab 15% of the base immediately.

This Splits the GOP just as the '08 funding wars begin to heat off and there is no way to bring the party back from the abyss if Bush asks for full funding again.


I am pretty well convince that when Bush asks for full funding again that the GOP is going to implode and everybody if going to protecting their own butts in both house and the Senate.

The best we can hope for in the supplemental is full funding and separate legislation on Benchmarks with teeth that might be veto proof.

[TwilightGardener]

1. I don't think Giuliani or any of the GOPer candidates will break away

on the war--that's what endears Giuliani and McCain to the base--it's the ONLY thing. The anti-war GOPer cannot succeed in a Repub primary, unless things go dramatically worse in Iraq.

[Perky]

2. .

[Perky]

3. kick

[Junkdrawer]

4. The 2008 Presidential election will be about Whitewater...

the "deep division" of the Democratic party and whether Hillary will apologize for voting for the war.

[Perky]

5. You assume Hillary will get the nod.