FUGGHEDBOUT IT!
Brooklyn natives Norm Coleman (R, MN) and Chuck Schumer (D, NY) sparred over the recent election and the emerging 2008 political battleground here in NYC last night. After briefly bantering about their days in public elementary school together and their incestuous web of high school crushes, the James Madison High alums conceded a bittersweet irony: each entered politics in the 60s inspired by his opposition to a nasty foreign war dividing the country.
The big lesson, to my mind? The Senators’ response to The Washington Post scoop Monday about the Pentagon’s closely guarded review of the War in Iraq. The review boils down the military’s options to three: “Go Big,” “Go Long,” “Go Home.”
“Go Big” – aka The McCain option – involves a significant troop increase. “Go Long” involves a long-term troop commitment for stepped-up training and advising of Iraqi forces (with a possible temporary troop increase). And “Go Home” puts a crisp, obvious tag on what several Democratic candidates campaigned for.
Here’s the rub: Americans are a tad schizophrenic on the issue: A big majority is concerned that the president will stay the course. And a big majority [78 percent] is concerned Democrats may leave too hastily.
Each option’s appeal depends on how you define victory and whether your informed judgment says victory is possible.
Schumer said flat out that victory in Iraq is impossible. Though he touted the Reid-Levin Proposal, he was a bit equivocal and vague in charting a specific course of action.
Defining “victory” as political stability to the point where Iraqis can govern themselves, Coleman said victory was not only possible, but necessary,
Both Senators agreed that America is on the threshold of political realignment. Each believes his party must speak to a fickle, anxious electorate in 2008.
Schumer put it best: “This election was the beginning of an ideological shift. Hard-right Reagan conservatism is gone. The idea that government is bad has been rejected. Reagan conservatism won’t work. New Deal liberalism won’t work, either. So the public is up for grabs in 2008. Whichever party can figure out a new paradigm to address technological change, globalization, and the country’s general anxiety will be in power for a generation.”
Democrats work is cut out for them: “The voters are taking a chance on us. We have to deliver, because we haven’t closed the sale,” said Chuck.
The most conspicuous, inconspicuous audience member lurking about was Al Franken, who is reportedly plotting to oust Coleman.
Comments (6)
What I want to know is what Norm Coleman had to say about political realignment. Afterall I suspect he will be on my 2008 ballot, and I'd like to make certain his words are on file should we need them two years from now. Please add.
November 21, 2006 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) is probably a pretty good indicator of what Iraq will look like for at least the next 15 years. Generally recognized as being between Christian, Shi'a and Sunni militias, a closer analysis reveals a host of non-aligned bit players supported on and off by foreign interests and motivated by everything from making a fast buck to settling long-time inter-tribal grievances.
A negotiated settlement seems to have been reached more from pure exhaustion than anything else.
Any intermittent non-Lebanese factions involved - Syrian, Palestinian...- were usually there to support one of the three militias. Fast-forward to today's Iraq involving American troops ostensibly supporting no particular group of insurgents and then try to reason why they're there at all. To build a police force? Half Sunni and half Shi'a? To build an army? Same break-down? If they can ever finish fighting each other, would they voluntarily join together and fight everybody else in general?
It's really about time all those high-paid beltway boys, pentagon-types and think-tank suits got a grip.
November 21, 2006 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
You may be optimistic about that settlement in Lebanon. Recent events may have upset that equilibrium.
The danger in Iraq is that if one of the factions starts to win, outsiders unhappy with the outcome may interfere. Plausible scenarios include Turks invade to prevent establishment of a Kurdish state, Iran invades to prevent Sunni dominance, Syria invades to prevent Shia dominance or any of the above just march in to set up a buffer zone or zone of influence, such as the Syrians and Israelis did in Lebanon.
November 21, 2006 1:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
To expect any of what you mentioned to happen or to expect it not to happen has equal weight when it comes to the predictability of events in the Middle East.
Since 1798 the Muslim world has scarcely realized more than 5 years straight when some western power has not invaded or encroached on their territories. It's a safe guess that among Muslims themselves the same history would apply.
Shortly before I became a resident of Yemen, a fifth world country, it experienced an influx of foreign countries hell-bent on improving the infrastructure of the country. Free of charge to Yemen the Russians, Germans, Americans and Chinese set about building roads, schools, and railroads. Periodically some Yemenis would go to the construction sites and slaughter a few of the workers. When asked why, given that the project wasn't costing them anything and it might put them in at least the fourth world, the answer was that they didn't want those outsiders in their country.
I'm sure there are Arabists in our government who know what it is to deal with that world and I'm equally sure that no one is listening to them.
November 21, 2006 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would add that phony Norm is an excellent weather vane. I believe he began as an anti-war Democrat, served as a moderate mayor, and became a Cheney stooge for the neocons after he was elected to the Senate.
Watch Norm. You can bet he doesen't want to run a pro-war campaign in MN in 2008.
November 21, 2006 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can't STAND Norm Coleman. He is a deceitful, two-faced, lying politician. First he was a Democrat and now he is a 'whatever Bush says' Republican. He went to DC and not ever once voted in the interst of what was best for America or his home state...it was nothing but Bush Bush Bush.
I hope MN votes him out of office so fast it makes his head spin.
November 25, 2006 8:14 AM | Reply | Permalink