Democrat Burden

> We Democrats are a bit like the dog who finally caught a car. Leading this great nation and the world back to ethical and responsible policies, programs and relations is a daunting prospect. It would be wise to give the Republican administration all the funding needed to achieve the best possible outcome in Iraq, insisting on a goal of achieving whatever success is possible by 2008, but recognizing that no outcome could justify the misery we have visited on the Iraqi people without cause.
> At the same time, we owe it to the American people and the world to investigate every detail of decision making that led to the invasion, thereby minimizing the odds that a future administration might repeat the experiment in unjust war. Prior to Bush's announcement of interest in an Iraq war, the national conversation was about failure to finish off Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Bush's alleged insider-trading crime at Harken Energy. It was a propitious time to act on Karl Rove's recommendation that Republicans maximize the political advantage handed to them on 9/11/01.
> The announcement stifled talk of Afghanistan failure and Harken crime and gave Republicans undisputed power in all branches of government. Fearing the unpatriotic" label, virtually no one in government or journalism insisted on evidence and reason for invading Iraq, and celebrities speaking up were punished. Dick Cheney had a free hand to manufacture false charges and unethical doctrines, eg the 1% doctrine. Collin Powell should have known better than to lend his prestige to a campaign directed by Karl Rove, and he should have resigned rather than sell a war the evidence for which he had not seen.
> When the most powerful nation on earth elects to violate an international convention for peace (see Just-War Theory), then that convention becomes inoperative unless the lesson is learned, articulated and embraced.