A victory for symbolism

Think that picture is too dramatic or unrepresentative? If the House Democrats have their way that's what we're facing again.

I'd like to think these hapless politicians are fully aware of the stakes, but I'm not sure. Rick Moran and others believe today's vote was mostly dog and pony, and I agree to a point. They absolutely had to come out with something or else face the wrath of the roots. It's pretty bad when your own constituency threatens to hijack your office just over 100 days after the election. So yes, this was mainly a bone to the "idiot liberal" wing despite the consequential message it sent to bin Laden and company.

But there's more at play here, I believe. For years the Democrats have been playfully referred to as "the mommy party". Today's vote seemed to solidify that notion a bit more. Listen closely to the left and you'll hear things like "we just want the troops home and safe" or other analogous phrases designed to suggest the main function of combat troops is to be safe on base and not defend the country. It displays a nearly unbelievable misunderstanding of the situation.

My own mother, who has supported Bush on Iraq and AQ, displays similar logic. She's told me several times she hopes my youngest son doesn't sign up when he turns 18. When I ask why, she says she doesn't want him to be lost in the war. When I point out that if the war's worth fighting then his service would be noble she says, "well, let him be noble stateside". Discussion past this point is futile. Surely this same mentality has been in play since men began doing dangerous things.

The other night Dennis Miller gave Cindy Sheehan a pass since she'd lost her son, yet she and her mates are now driving the boat. Lawmakers like Pelosi and Boxer are mothers, grandmothers, wives, and it's hard to make the case to the right brain.

That's not the whole ball of wax, of course. Rank politics is always at work in DC and the Dems have positioned themselves to where even if we chopper out any future recriminations will be blamed on the Republicans. The August 2008 deadline was also set to remove any hint of culpability for their presidential candidate as well, since chances are we'll still be in Iraq by then. The Dems will claim they tried hard to get us out and will run on that symbolic notion.

I'll leave you with my own symbolism..

MSNBC

HALP IS ON THE WAY 3/23/07

Must be part of that going to war with the Army you have thing.