Duck Season, Rabbit Season

This weekend's radio address by retired LTG Sanchez obviously caused quite a reaction amongst your faithful blogging team (AM was apparently so excited by Charlie's expletive-laced email that he posted the best lines himself). It was a stunningly stupid choice, and reflects the uniform worship that Charlie has seen developing for some time amongst the Dems (more on that later in the week).

But it does beg the question: who's idea was it? DNC? Reid and Pelosi? One of the presidential candidates? It's common to say that the democrats are against the war. But at this point there are really only two things the Dems are against: GWB and losing in '08. Everything else is on the table. Candidates Clinton, Obama, and Edwards have all said that they would not commit to removing all troops from Iraq by 2012. Clinton, to the surprise of many (though not this blogger) has the most hawkish position of anyone in the party. There is little resembling an Iraq "policy" with the party as a whole.

More importantly, it's primary season. How many of you have been to Iowa? Spent some quality time in Newton? Marshalltown? The sprawling metropolis of Des Moines? (Charlie's aunt and uncle usually host a caucus. It's baffling.) New Hampshire is just as strange but in a totally different live-free-or-die kind of way. Primary electorates, particularly in these states, aren't quite right. They're political freakshows. They pay attention, lots of attention. On the democratic side, these folks are against the war in a serious way. And you gotta win in either Iowa or NH or you're toast (especially in this year's front loaded calendar).

So. The Dems are pandering. No surprise. What is surprising is that the front-runners are unwilling to take the most serious panderific step and promise immediate withdrawal. That, in and of itself, is telling. Charlie is holding fire until Summer 2008 to see what the Iraq plans look like the primary dust has settled. They would all do well to follow Abu Muqawama's advice in the meantime. (And if the military gains haven't translated into political gains by then, the Republicans are going to have just as many problems as the Dems.)