IF CONGRESS DOESN'T STOP THIS WAR, IT ISN'T BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE THE POWER BUT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE THE WILL

In case you haven't noticed, Bush, Cheney and I all agree that Biden's approach to stopping escalation in Iraq is completely futile. Biden and Levin call their nonbinding resolution "symbolic." The time has passed for nonbinding symbolism and Beltway Bubble games. This is too serious for careerist hacks like Biden. Fortunately for our country, Russ Feingold is taking a more realistic approach.

John O'Neil in today's New York Times takes a look at the groundwork Feingold and his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee are laying towards actually stopping Bush, rather than playing politics-as-usual games the way Biden-- with an eye on a pointless run for the presidency-- is doing.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee began laying the constitutional groundwork today for an effort to block President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq and place new limits on the conduct of the war there, perhaps forcing a withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.

They were joined by Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who led the panel for the last two years, in asserting that Mr. Bush cannot simply ignore Congressional opposition to his plan to send 21,500 additional troops to Iraq.

"I would respectfully suggest to the president that he is not the sole decider," Mr. Specter said. "The decider is a joint and shared responsibility."

Mr. Specter said he considered a clash over constitutional powers to be "imminent." The Senate next week will take up competing proposals that would express disapproval of Mr. Bush's plan.

My friend Matt, a senior VP at Citibank, just called IM-ed me and asked me why Feingold isn't running for president. He had just read this: "Senator Russell Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat who acted as chairman for the hearing, said he would soon introduce a resolution that would go much further. It would end all financing for the deployment of American military forces in Iraq after six months, other than a limited number working on counterterrorism operations or training the Iraqi army and police. In effect, it would call for all other American forces to be withdrawn by the six-month deadline. 'Since the President is adamant about pursuing his failed policy in Iraq, Congress has a duty to stand up and prevent him,' Mr. Feingold said."

Right wing kook, Orrin Hatch (R-UT), still screaming "Stay the Course," managed to croak out the worn out, utterly false, Rove talking point-- so very over-used by Lieberman, Cheney and McCain-- about demoralizing the troops. Back last May I thought that canard was put out of its misery by General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting when Specter asked him if there "has there been any significant impact on the morale of the men and women in the Department of Defense because of those disagreements?" Pace's answer, even with Rumsfeld breathing down his neck: "... as far as morale of the force: no impact, Sir."

To call these Republicans hypocrites is a waste of energy, beating a dead horse. And no one is worse than McCain. As Glenn Greenwald pointed out this morning, McCain's flip-flopping game playing with the safety of our country is astoundingly irresponsible. Take a look at this video of a few minutes of the Judiciary Committee today, important speeches from Feingold, Durbin and Specter (who sounds like someone should be talking to him about coming over from the Dark Side. Maybe we can trade him for Lieberman?)