Do the Dems know what they’ve gotten themselves into with this resolution against the troop surge in Iraq?

A bipartisan majority in the Senate yesterday united behind a firm “stay the course” resolution on the war in Iraq, despite searing public criticism from both sides in Congress over President Bush’s handling of the war.

The resolution is critical of the war’s execution and condemns any effort by Mr. Bush to send reinforcements to the region. In the measure, the Senate also promises not to cut off funding for the increasingly unpopular war.

“Congress should not take any action that will endanger United States military forces in the field, including the elimination or reduction of funds for troops in the field, as such an action with respect to funding would undermine their safety or harm their effectiveness in pursuing their assigned missions,” says the resolution, authored mainly by Sen. John W. Warner, Virginia Republican.

Although backers say they are deeply dissatisfied with the execution of the war, the resolution says that the United States “should continue vigorous operations” in parts of Iraq and that early withdrawal “would present a threat to regional and world peace.”

So what the Dems have voted in favor of is a) not cutting off funds for Iraq and b) not withdrawing the troops.  What they’ve voted in favor of is not sending the troops any reinforcements.  What they seem to be voting for is the status quo.  No policy shift.  No changes.  Just leave our troops on the battlefield.

I find it detestable that the folks in favor of this resolution won’t agree to send our troops reinforcements even as they favor keeping the troops on the field of battle, but I also find it laughable that many of these anti-war Democrats just voted in favor of staying the course in Iraq.  That’s going to make their opposition to the war, at least in the foreseeable future, tricky.

Not that the Democrats (and the few Republicans who have joined their ranks on this issue) can’t find a way to rationalize their way out of the corner they just painted themselves in.  They’ll have some explanation, I’m sure, but suffice it to say that this resolution exposes their position for what it really is: pure political posturing.

They don’t care about the war in Iraq.  Or, more accurately, they do care about it, but only insofar as it impacts their political careers.