The lines are clearly drawn, more so today than ever before, the Left clearly favors an American loss in Iraq. As I stated in an earlier post today, I knew more Dems would crawl out of the woodwork and Ms. Pelosi kindly obliged. Reciting the usual list of anti-war grievances she manages to do what her vote two weeks ago steadfastly refused to do: Support the withdrawal of our troops from Iraq, and surrender the country to terrorists, and civil war...

"We should follow the lead of Congressman John Murtha, who has put forth a plan to make America safer, to make our military stronger, and to make Iraq more stable."

How does losing a war make the U.S. Safer? How does handing Iraq over to the terrorists make that country more stable? She's lost it... I mean the Democratic war for political power, not her sanity-- although her decision to support a cut and run policy could be construed as a bout of insanity.

Bill Kristol sees Ms. Pelosi's poorly reasoned rebuttal as perhaps the surest sign Republicans will retain control of the House next fall. He's more optimistic than I am in this regard, but he knows a lot more than I do, and travels in circles I do not.

"Until now, it seemed to me more likely than not that Democrats would win back the House in 2006... I now think that unlikely. Pelosi's endorsement today of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq makes the House Democrats the party of defeat, the party of surrender. Bush's strong speech today means the GOP is likely to be -- if Republican Congressmen just keep their nerve -- the party of victory."

The Democratic party is completely fractured over this issue. One faction -- a very small faction consisting of Lieberman and perhaps a few others -- says "stay the course." Then there's the confused faction of John Kerry-- a somewhat larger faction --that can't seem to make up its mind one week to the next what course of action to support. There's the hardliners, like Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi, who know exactly what they support and why -- to see America lose at any cost, to damage a sitting president, and regain political power. There are a few, like Dick Durbin who, like the proverbial sycophantic mouthpiece, want only to please their masters, and perhaps gain ascendancy on their coat tails.

Liz Sidoti of AP had this to say of Ms. Pelosi's reversal:

"House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday embraced a call by a prominent member of her rank-and-file to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, two weeks after she declined to endorse it."

Ms. Sidoti clearly sees Ms. Pelosi's speech for what it is: A call for withdrawal, and defeat. All America needs to do is remain resolved and push for a win-- and consequently, success in Iraq --and the GOP can't lose. This is the oddest strategy for political victory I've ever heard of: Win political power by losing a win-able war. Hell, It worked for them with Vietnam.

But Iraq is no Vietnam, and the Dems haven't yet caught on to that. Their stategy makes no sense! How can Democrats ever be trusted again after embracing such a despicable and cowardly policy?