John Murtha’s ‘surge is working’ remark spreads gloom over Democrats

The Democratic defeatists don’t know what to do. Might the United States have won the Iraq war before they had a chance to lose it?

Two days ago, on his return from Iraq, Congressman John Murtha declared, “I think the surge is working.”

Stunned was not a good enough word for the reaction in Washington. First, there was a silence. Then came the thundering whoosh of foul-smelling coward’s air escaping at high-pressure from Democratic Party offices.

All the air out. It was the deflation of a dream, the big, bad dream of surrender. Murtha, the icon of wars lost to tyrants, said freedom might be beating the fascists in Iraq.

It was as if Fidel Castro called for free elections, Noam Chomsky condemned the Khmer Rouge and the Ayatollah Khamenei announced Iran was turning Jewish all on the same day.

Murtha burst the appeasers’ bubble. And once the air was out, there was another silence.

Searching for words. A Democratic aide peeped that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi might be angry with Murtha for being honest about the “surge.” Murtha got the signal that he should revise his hopeful remarks. But he didn’t amend much.

To appease Pelosi, Murtha said yesterday that the U.S. still should bring all troops home. But again he said the “surge” is working. The war is being won.

The usual big mouths of defeat were quiet yesterday. Pelosi herself was silent about Murtha. Unless I missed it in my quick look around, it appears the Think Progress blog said nothing about Murtha yesterday. Daily Kos said nothing. Talking Points Memo said nothing. The Democratic Daily said nothing.

Take heart. Today, The New York Times ignores Murtha’s dramatic epiphany. Instead, it carries a letter to the editor questioning the “surge,” even if it works. The letter doesn’t mention Murtha. (The Washington Post also drops the subject today. It focuses on Karl Rove’s memories of Iraq war votes in 2002.)

Of course they’re all mum on Murtha. What could they say? Their champion of defeat now says democracy is winning, that a Republican president’s central project has a good chance of success.

Oh, the dark gloom spreading over the friends of fascism. It’s a heartening sight.

Frank Warner

Comments

[Danny L. McDaniel]

The surge is working because Iran is calling the shots and pulling the strings in Iraq. Right now Iran finds it more advanteous to be more low key and quiet because of the resent discussions of American bomb strikes on its' nuclear plants. The botton line: Iran will do whatever it has to do to achieve nuclear world status. They are giving a little to get alot.

The intensity of the conflict has been lowered but the duration of American military presenses their has not. The US now has its own West Bank - a protectorate to maintain and administer.

The Iranians will turn the heat up in Iraq when it is in the their benefit to do so. They will turn it down a notch or two for similiar reasons. The surge isn't everything people think it is or will be.

Danny L. McDaniel
Lafayette, Indiana

[jj mollo]

Stratfor holds the same opinion. I personally disagree. I think that the US, under Petraeus' direction, is competently extracting their claws, one by one. The thing that is not under Genl. P's control, however, is our addiction to oil. The tyrants, with the probable exceptions of Castro and Mugabe, would melt away like the Wicked Witch if we got ourselves under control.