H. Res. 861: Iraq War a Smashing Success!

Note: Howard will be on the Ed Shultz show today, around 3:30 p.m.

Cross-posted at Daily Kos.

Steve Clemons at The Washington Note observes that "Texas swagger is back."

It's been reported here and on other blogs today that House Majority Leader John Boehner has distributed a messaging memo to help Republicans talk up America's progress in Iraq.

According to Clemons, "Boehner's memo amplifies a "high-fear" drumbeat for the so-called war on terror and suggests that the death of Zarqawi, the completion of appointing Iraq's senior cabinet ministers, and Bush's personal meeting with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki seal the deal for America achieving victory in its efforts there."

So what did Boehner leave out?

Zarqawi's team seems dedicated to worsening the violence and that Zarqawi's activities in their entirety were a very small percentage of the overall insurgency in Iraq (some commanders in the field were even trying to get the $25 million bounty on Zarqawi reduced because he was becoming proportionally less of the exploding problems in Iraq).

But wait--there's more, says Clemons:

Apparently, Boehner is going to push passage of House Resolution 861 tomorrow declaring the Iraq War as a smashing success and as synonymous with the overused and inappropriate metaphor, "war on terror".

It's a disturbing resolution that recognizes none of the setbacks that we are experiencing and again ratchets up the arrogance and hubris of America's position in Iraq.

This is a status quo resolution; it contains no recommendations for the president. H. Res. 861 declares that "it is not in the national security interest of the United States to set an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Iraq" and that "the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the noble struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary."

There is an alternative resolution, H. Res. 543, headed by Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) and and currently supported by 124 Members of the House, including 4 Republicans. H.Res. 543 needs 218 votes to pass.

I encourage you to read both. DC for Democracy is keeping a scorecard for H.Res. 543. If your congressperson hasn't signed on, call and ask why.

Alternate link to comment.