Democrats need to develop a position now to defend

[chieftain]

themselves from the pre ordained assault that will come from the RW when Iraq descends into all out civil war and American troops have to fight their way to safety.
Sectarian warfare, chaos and Iranian domination of Iraq were the probable outcomes for Bush's war of choice. The ineptitude with which it was executed made the referenced list of horribles inevitable. The only way the Republicans can deal with this is to hang the defeat on the Democrats. The longer we suggest that our redeployment plans will bring peace to the region, the more vulnerable we will be when the final act is played out.
I think we would be better off by declaring the war to be the colossal failure that it is and place the responsibility squarely on Rummy, Dead Eye Dick and Doofus.Holding out hope that redeployment and diplomatic efforts will produce peace and harmony in Iraq is a pipe dream. Peace will only come when the various factions have exhausted themselves in internecine warfare and/or consolidated power. US occupation can only defer that day of reckoning not prevent it. Democrats need to speak this truth to the American people now to defend ourselves from the coming RW lies by which we will be blamed for our proposals that will come too late to salvage an unsalvageable debacle.

[aquart]

1. We don't have to defend ourselves. We're attacking.

[Ethelk2044]

2. It is Already a Civil War

Why should we defend ourselves. It has been a civil war for months. The repugs will not acknowledge it. They are still dreaming. Anyone you have a brain knows this. Oh I forgot when God was handing out brains the repugs thought he was saying chains.

[TayTay]

3. Nobody has ever said this

This is a strawman argument.

The longer we suggest that our redeployment plans will bring peace to the region, the more vulnerable we will be when the final act is played out.

Every single Democrat is saying that chaos and massive loss of life will happen no matter what we do in Iraq. No one is saying that any plan for anyone will bring peace to the region.

If you have actual quotes and links to attribue to individual Democrats, I'd like to see them.

[blm]

4. Iraq's been in Civil War since February of LAST YEAR and everyone in DC knows it

but wouldn't admit it last spring and summer for political reasons.

Even now you have to still pull it out of most Democrats while most Republicans are still denying it completely.

[Labors of Hercules]

5. Absolutely agree,

Dems need to make people recognize the failure in Iraq, that it is stupid to continue committing so much in a vain attempt to hold off the inevitable. Better to steer into the median and clean up the mess than keep plowing the wrong way down a one-way street.