Not On Their Watch

Well, the Senate went ahead and decided to play General:

Defying a veto threat, the Democratic-controlled Senate narrowly signaled support Tuesday for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by next March.

Republican attempts to scuttle the non-binding timeline failed on a vote of 50-48, largely along party lines.

This ridiculous attempt by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to dictate a war on terms set in D.C. is not likely to instill confidence in the people actually over there fighting. It should be and will be vetoed.

Austin Bay has a thought on the vote.

The tactic shouldn't be surprising though, given that the situation in Iraq is getting more and more urgent for Democrats:

So after only a couple weeks we can feel, despite the continuing violence, that much has been accomplished. Many Baghdadis feel hopeful again about the future, and the fear of civil war is slowly being replaced by optimism that peace might one day return to this city. This change in mood is something huge by itself.

The brightest image of the past two weeks was the scene of displaced families returning home; more than a thousand families are back to their homes under the protection of the Army and police. This figure invites hope that Baghdad will restore its social, ethnic and religious mosaic.

Marketplaces are seeing more activity and stores that were long shuttered are reopening--including even some liquor stores that came under vicious attacks in the past. This is a sign that extremists no longer can intimidate people and hold the city hostage. All of this gives the sense that law is being imposed.

If the Democrats waited much longer, conditions on the ground might deteriorate to the point of victory.