THE DEMOCRATIC CLOAKROOMS OR, PARIS ON THE POTOMAC:

Democrats pull troop deadline from Iraq bill (Carl Hulse, May 22, 2007, NY Times)

Congressional Democrats relented Tuesday on their insistence that a war spending measure set a date for withdrawing American combat troops from Iraq. Instead, they moved toward a deal with President George W. Bush that would impose new conditions on the Iraqi government.

The decision to back down was a wrenching reversal for leading Democrats, who saw their election triumph in November as a call to force an end to the war. It was the first time since taking power in Congress that the Democrats had publicly agreed to allow a vote on war financing without a timetable for troop withdrawal.

Surrender is habit forming.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 22, 2007 10:28 PM