Poor George

George Will today:

Regarding Iraq, the Democratic-controlled Congress could do what Democrats say a Democratic president would do: withdraw U.S. forces. A president could simply order that; Congress could defund military operations in Iraq. Congressional Democrats are, however, afraid to do that because they lack the courage of their (professed) conviction that Iraq would be made tranquil by withdrawal of U.S. forces.

AP tonight:

Determined to challenge President Bush, Senate Democrats are drafting legislation to limit the mission of U.S. troops in Iraq, effectively revoking the broad authority Congress granted in 2002, officials said Thursday.

While these officials said the precise wording of the measure remains unsettled, one draft would restrict American troops in Iraq to combating al-Qaida, training Iraqi army and police forces, maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity and otherwise proceeding with the withdrawal of combat forces.

The officials, Democratic aides and others familiar with private discussions, spoke only on condition of anonymity, saying rank-and-file senators had not yet been briefed on the effort. They added, though, the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) is expected to present the proposal to fellow Democrats early next week for their consideration.

The plan is to attempt to add the measure to anti-terrorism legislation that scheduled to be on the Senate floor next week and the week following.

Will would say that his column and the Democratic action is not mutually exclusive; he thinks that the Congress lacks the power to interpret military missions. But if Congress declared the war, or gave the President the authority to do so, Congress can just as well revoke that authority, no? Joe Biden and Carl Levin seem to think so, that's why they've crafted this amendment.

Congress giveth, Congress taketh away. And George Will sits their blubbering because the Democrats called his bluff, and he's sitting there with a perfectly irrelevant op-ed.

...adding, this is good policy and great politics. The Democrats are handing the Republicans an anvil over and over again. They're actually doing the kitchen sink strategy, forcing the GOP on the record with a vote (and everybody understands that cloture IS the vote in this case). This is what a good majority does, especially if they want to expand their majority.