REPUBLICAN WINOS TOO SCARED TO SUPPORT A REASONABLE EXIT STRATEGY FOR IRAQ-- GOP VOTES FOR MORE ESCALATION AND WAR

OK, we all know about all the sex perverts in the Republican Senate caucus-- from David Diapers Vitter (R-LA), to the three hysterically homophobic closet queens, Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Miss McConnell (R-KY), and Larry Craig (R-ID). But did you know about the Republican WINOs?

Harold Meyerson delves into GOP WINO-land this morning's Washington Post through an appropriately titled column, Spineless Sages.

Anyone searching for the highest forms of invertebrate life need look no further than the floor of the U.S. Senate last week and this. These spineless specimens go by various names -- Republican moderates; respected senior Republicans; Dick Lugar, John Warner, Pete Domenici, George Voinovich.

They have seen the folly of our course in Iraq. The mission, they understand, cannot be accomplished. The Iraqi government, they discern, is hopelessly sectarian.

In wisdom, they are paragons. In action, they are nullities.

Greg Sargent at TPM has been using the WINO appellation-- which stands for "Waverers In Name Only"-- for a while and it's starting to catch on, for obvious reasons.

Republicans, fearful of the backlash brewing from disillusioned voters, like to talk a game of "changing course" in Iraq but-- perhaps because their fear of Cheney and Rove is even greater-- they continue to vote with the Bush Regime die-hards. Talk is cheap-- but as we saw last night when it comes to walking the walk, rubber stamp Republicans like Pete "Sneaky Pete" Domenici (R-NM), Norm Coleman (R-MN), John Sununu (R-NH), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Arlen Specter (R-PA), John Warner (R-VA), George Voinovich (R-OH), Dick Lugar (R-IN) just can't break the habit. Only three Republicans, Chuck Hagel, Olympia Snowe and the petrified and confused Gordon Smith and Susan Collins, voted in favor of ending the filibuster and allowing a vote on Iraq.

McConnell's and Rove's strategy of obstructionism again won the day. This is a matter that will be up to the voters to solve next year by remembering that every Republican has earned defeat.


UPDATE: REID GETS TOUGH

Bob Geiger has the scoop:

In an in-your-face response to Republicans continuing to block a full Senate vote on withdrawing American troops from Iraq, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) just moments ago set aside the pending Defense Authorization Bill until the Senate's Republican leadership stops defying the will of the majority of Congress and the American people and allows votes on the Iraq occupation.

"This has been a long week and it is only Wednesday," said Reid on the Senate floor. "We have now been in session continuously for 2 days. On Monday I submitted a simple request for consent to proceed to an up or down vote on the Levin/Reed Amendment to the Defense Authorization bill. As I have stated, this amendment provides a clear, binding and responsible path to change the U.S. mission and reduce our combat presence in Iraq."

"Regrettably, Republicans chose to block this amendment. They chose to deny the American people an up or down vote on a bipartisan amendment. They chose to continue protecting their President instead of our troops – no matter the cost to our country."

Reid then laid out his next step: "Because Republicans continue to block votes on important amendments to the Defense Authorization bill, we can make no further progress on Iraq and this bill at this time."

Russ Feingold explained McConnell's obstructionist tactics and how the Republican filibuster is thwarting the will of the American people and of most senators:

“Today, a majority of the Senate backed binding legislation with a firm end date to redeploy our troops from Iraq.  This shows how far we’ve come since August 2005 when I became the first Senator to propose a deadline to bring the mistake in Iraq to an end.  If we had enacted my proposal when I first offered it, our troops would be home right now.  Although a number of Republicans have finally acknowledged that the President’s Iraq policy is a failure, their filibuster of the Levin-Reed amendment shows they are still failing to back up their words with action.  The Levin-Reed amendment is by no means perfect, but its binding provisions to end our extensive military involvement in Iraq are a significant step forward.  With their decision to filibuster, the Republicans have prevented the Senate from voting to bring the open-ended mission in Iraq to an end, and have once again ignored the calls of the American people.”