Waiter, What’s This Pig Doing in my Poke?
Incoming House Intelligence Committee chair Silvestre Reyes tells Newsweek that ‘he wants to see an increase of 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops as part of a stepped up effort to “dismantle the militias.†‘
Among the many reasons a “surge” designed to “dismantle the militias” won’t work is that adding 20-30,000 troops to the US mission for that purpose means adding a much larger number to the enemy – the aggregate anti-US position isn’t static. While US troops have been known to clash with Sadrist militia units, Shiite militias don’t initiate as much anti-US violence as they could. The choice is not “add 20-30,000 troops to deal with our existing problem”; it’s “add 20-30,000 troops to create a bigger one.”
In re pure politics, a lot of Reyes’ criticisms of people in his own party who hold different views amount to “kinder, gentler Liebermanism.”
There are those that say, they don’t care what Iraq looks like once we leave there. Let’s just leave there. And I argue against that. I don’t think that’s responsible. And I think it plays right into the hands of Syria and Iran.
IOZ is going to be like a pig in shit today.
Comment by IOZ —
December 6, 2006 @ 11:10 am
Yes. Go team!
Comment by Uncle Kvetch —
December 6, 2006 @ 11:18 am
When the Dems took Congress last month, I kept asking myself why I wasn’t feeling more excited.
Now I know.
Comment by ran —
December 6, 2006 @ 11:44 am
Despicable.
Time for a real third party alternative to the Warmonger Party and the Me Too Warmonger Party.
Comment by Rich Puchalsky —
December 6, 2006 @ 1:07 pm
The article also contained the following:
“the Speaker-designate wanted somebody who would be more aggressive in standing up to the Bush White House—which Reyes promises to be on other issues like domestic wiretapping and CIA secret prisons.”
If he really does something about domestic wiretapping and secret prisons — given that he’s on the Intelligence Committee — then I can live with him spouting off about more troops. It’s not good, no, but the Democrats have never been monolithic in the way that the Republicans are, and they don’t have a lot of slack (they can’t even get rid of Lieberman himself, yet). Reyes was probably the best that Pelosi could get, out of the three candidates who had the political power to put themselves up for the position.
As for the “Me Too Warmonger Party”, go from your third party if can’t see any difference. Reyes voted against going to war in the first place.
Comment by Matt Weiner —
December 6, 2006 @ 1:26 pm
Disclaimer: As a Dem partisan, I’m disappointed in Reyes, but still somewhat hopeful for the reasons Rich gives.
Metaphor watch: The title is good, but having a pig in your poke would be desirable. The problem with pigs in pokes was that they could turn out to be something else when you got them home; hence “let the cat out of the bag” (probably) has the same origin. I’d rather have a cat than a pig myself, but I’m not an 18th-century farmer.
Comment by Nell —
December 6, 2006 @ 11:53 pm
Man. Rush Holt looks like even more of a missed opportunity now.
Comment by Jim Henley —
December 7, 2006 @ 10:07 pm
Matt, cats are too stringy, but I take your point!