October 11th is a day that will live in infamy - it is the day the U.S. Senate, supposedly the world's greatest deliberative body, voted to authorize the War in Iraq. This vote has special meaning in the lead up to the 2006 elections for people like Joe Lieberman, Mike DeWine and George Allen, each of whom voted for the resolution, each of whom faces serious a serious challenge from opponents who are demanding a change of course.
For Lieberman and DeWine, the situation is particularly grim. Lieberman has been exposed for skipping half of all votes on the Iraq War - votes that could have held the administration accountable or helped build a policy to stabilize the situation. At the same time he was skipping these votes, he was likening war critics to anti-American terrorists who supposedly wanted to undermine the country. Similarly, DeWine has been exposed for his absenteeism on the Senate Intelligence Committee - the committee that was supposed to make sure the WMD justifications for the war were sound.
Now, the senators who voted for this awful resolution are increasingly isolated. Today's Cup of Joe at www.truthaboutjoe.com shows that a tidal wave of intelligence agencies, military experts and apologetic Republican senators are joining the calls of people like Ned Lamont, Sherrod Brown, Jim Webb and other Democrats for change. This tidal wave leaves people like Lieberman, DeWine and Allen clinging to George W. Bush as a life raft, hoping beyond hope that the president who they helped push the war will rescue them.
As we look at the increasing chaos in Iraq, it is clear October 11th is a sad day for our country and for the world. It is the day the U.S. Senate willfully damaged its own credibility by refusing to hold the Bush administration accountable. It is the day people like Lieberman, DeWine and Allen showed how career politicians who think only of their own hide can endanger this country. It is the day the United States damaged its own moral credibility on the international stage.
Let us all hope that November 7th, 2006 starts the process of changing course and healing the damage done on October 11th, 2002.