The Republican-proposed measure was rejected 403 to 3, a result that surprised no one.
The idea was to force Democrats to go on the record on a proposal that the administration says would be equivalent to surrender. Recognizing a political trap, most Democrats -- including Murtha -- said from the start they would vote no.
But the maneuvering exposed the chamber's raw partisan divisions and prompted a tumultuous scene, which Capitol Hill veterans called among the wildest and most emotional they had ever witnessed...
I watched the last couple hours of this and the hooting and hollering sounded like a particularly rowdy Prime Minister's Question Time. Murtha was eloquent and powerful. The point that made him flip - that the US troops are such inviting targets that they're fueling the insurgency more than they're stopping it - is very persuasive to the "support the troops" crowd and must not be lost.
But I was disappointed in the interpretation of the resolution as a "trap." It would have been better, certainly, to have had a vote on Murtha's original draft.
But the Republican "alternative", while cynical, expresses my views precisely:
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately.
Only the ever-controversial Cynthia McKinney of Georgia, Jose Serrano of the Bronx, and Robery Wexler of Florida had the nerve to vote YES. Six more called the vote for the sham it was and cast a PRESENT: Mike Capuano of Boston, Bill Clay Jr. of St. Louis, New Yorkers Maurice Hinchey, Jerry Nadler and Major Owens, and Jim McDermott (WA). A hat tip for them too. Would have been nice to see more.
Aside to Leonard Boswell: Your absence will be noted. You have served long and well, but you need to decide what to do NOW. Retirement with honors is a more suitable end to a career that a defeat in ill health. I'm just sayin'.
Leach voted with the Dems on the procedural questions. That's good, but in honor of a Harry Potter weekend, I've decided that Leach is the Mad-Eye Moody of the GOP.
For my Muggle political readers: Leach, like the new teacher at Hogwarts, has one "magical" eye swiveling around in constant vigilance. Leach's magical eye is fixed back here on the district - like Moody, he needs to keep up appearances, to fit into a place he really doesn't belong.
UPDATE: A couple of my readers have noted my bad manners at not having a big flashing SPOILER ALERT in this post. I had imagined I was the only political Pottermaniac. Anyway read on at your own risk.
Both Leach and Moody are on the surface kind and helpful. But deep down, Moody is not what he appears to be - he's a genius at the Dark Arts who serves an evil master. He does several things that seem to help Our Hero, while behind the scenes he commits some nasty treacheries.
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