Jonathan Rauch has a provocative piece today at the Atlantic. The piece centers on the politics of the eventual Iraq withdrawal — over whatever time span that occurs. He considers the outcome if Democrats control the White House and both Houses of Congress next year:
In Rauch’s view, control of the White House and Congress by the same party is a recipe for bitterness and recrimination. If each party controls one end of Pennsylvania Avenue, a consensus approach becomes the likely outcome. Indeed, Democratic complaints to the contrary, that’s largely what we have today. If however, Democrats are running the show, and give in to their pacifist wing, they may well be blamed for any downturn in Iraq post-withdrawal. Ideally, Democrats would agree to support the president in negotiating a long-term agreement to promote a stable Iraq — rather than trying to tie his hands. But in the heat of a contested primary, it seems unlikely that any Democrat wants to be seen as making a concession — even if it’s in the national interest.
