SYMBOLISM TRIUMPHANT?

Polls are starting to show that by a margin of nearly two to one, grassroots Democrats favor Rep. Jack Murtha's and Senator Ted Kennedy's plans to actually take solid steps to prevent Bush from escalating the war (the real thing; not the hot air and political positioning for 2008 elections). Inside-the-Beltway, however, Democratic pols-- and an increasing number of vulnerable Republican legislators-- want to look like they're opposing Bush's unpopular plans, while doing nothing binding. The Carl Levin and Joe Biden plan is for a "symbolic" gesture of disapproval. Today's New York Times reports that the bill is being co-sponsored by a conservative Republican, Chuck Hagel (R-NE), who is fed up with Bush's incompetence and venality. They may introduce their symbolic gesture as early as today. It won't be voted on until after Bush bumbles through another State of the Union address next Tuesday.

"Mr. Hagel said the intent of the resolution was not to 'bash the president' or to call for the immediate withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq, but a responsible way for senators to register their opinion on the increase of more than 20,000 additional troops announced by Mr. Bush last week... 'Senator Levin, Senator Biden and I have been working together on it and we are pretty close,' Mr. Hagel, a potential Republican presidential candidate, said Tuesday night as he left the Senate." As many as a dozen Republicans could join the Democrats in voting for this toothless bill and even more surprising, arch-reactionary Dem Ben Nelson (D-NE) says if it is toothless enough, even he might vote for it!

Meanwhile the cowardly House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, who only mouths opposition to the war and is less likely to be able to prevail against House members of his own caucus who want to stop Bush, told the Times that "We," presumably speaking for himself, Rahm Emanuel and other symbolists, "think it will be useful for the Senate to go first."

"Thomas Andrews, a former House Democrat who heads the Win Without War coalition, said any such resolution would allow Republicans to voice their opposition to the president's policy, giving them political cover when they later oppose binding legislative efforts to stifle that policy. 'The whole thing could let Republicans off the hook with a meaningless, toothless vote,' said Andrews, who has been meeting with senior Democrats on war issues. 'It's a pressure valve that could work against us.'"

Mitch McConnell promises a fillibuster to prevent the bill from passing and he is supported by Republicans John McCain, Holy Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, all of whom favor a wider war in the Middle East.


SUNUNU PONDERS JOINING THE SYMBOLISTS

It's doubtful there is much John Sununu can do to save his senate seat next year. But he'll try. He says he's not in favor of the Bush/McCain escalation agenda but... he's not sure how he'll vote on the nonbinding resolution. I guess he's not going to get behind the Kennedy or Dodd bills that actually seek to stop Bush, not just tell him he's a bad boy.