The Politico states the obvious–notwithstanding their protestations, Democrats in Congress are not doing all they can to end the war in Iraq:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) could force a vote a day over Iraq. She could keep the House in session all night, over weekends and through planned vacations. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) could let filibusters run from now till Christmas rather than yield to pro-war Republicans. Such tactics might or might not be politically sensible, but in their absence, anti-war lawmakers can hardly say they have done everything possible to challenge the war and bring attention to their cause… In closed-door caucus meetings, members say, Democratic leaders like Reps. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) have carried the day by warning that there is no appetite for such tactics in the districts of vulnerable Democrats, upon whom the party’s new majority status depends. Many of these districts are in red states with rural regions filled with military families. Above all, Democrats do not wish to open themselves to a charge they believe is demagogic, but effective – that they are turning their backs on troops in the field… Galling as it may be to Democrats, Bush still can claim to be acting with more clarity and courage than the congressional majority. He believes the Iraq war is right and has thrown away things most politicians crave – approval ratings, and potentially his reputation in history – to get what he wants. Democratic leaders believe the war is wrong but have pursued their beliefs with a series of ginger calculations that so far have achieved no substantive changes in policy.
The reason that the war continues is that President Bush stands by his convictions, evidently with little regard for the political price of doing so. On the other hand, Democratic leaders in Congress have decided that their convictions aren’t worth the political sacrifice.
