Redstate

ineffectual opinion, political dancing, or both

By Mark Kilmer Posted in War — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

At this point, with the "surge" of troops arriving in Baghdad apace, with the early stages of the liberation of Baghdad clearly underway, it should not matter to the White House which anti-Bushie resolution passes, if any. It is a matter of the Senate doing its thing and of party politics in the "world's greatest deliberative body," fast becoming cloud-cuckoo-land.

The media, the Democrats, must want the President to take this vote personally. (And they want the President to lose sleep over the Fitz-trial of Scooter Libby, but their wish list is always under desperate revision.) I've the perfect case-in-point.

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At Thursday's White House Press Briefing [transcript], AP White House reporter Jennifer Loven jumped on it. The White House is letting the Senate Dems do their thing, knowing that there is no effect. A thing cannot be bigger than it is, unless the media pumps it with hot gas.

Take it, Jennifer:

JENNIFER: You said this morning that you all were taking essentially a hands-off, sort of interested observer approach to the Iraq debate on the Hill --

MR. SNOW: Yes.

JENNIFER: Why is that? I mean, there may be some sense of inevitability about what's going to happen there, but that's never stopped the White House before from getting very involved in debates that are --

MR. SNOW: This is a little unusual. This is a non-binding resolution where people are trying to speak their minds on an issue. And it's appropriate to let them go ahead and work through it. This is not something where the White House is in a position, or ought to be in a position to try to tell people exactly how they ought to frame it; instead you have members of Congress who have been trying to have an open debate about this, and to offer different views and different ways of expressing their concerns about the war.

Americans are concerned about the war. The President is concerned about the war. Nobody is happy with the way the situation is today. And therefore, the key challenge is to move forward in a way that leads towards success.

JENNIFER: But is there a sense of, maybe, resignation that you just have to let this one go --

MR. SNOW: No --

JENNIFER: -- because the White House has never stayed out of a battle like this before --

MR. SNOW: Have you ever seen a battle like this?

JENNIFER: On other issues --

MR. SNOW: On a resolution, on a non-binding resolution, where people are trying to make a statement? I don't think -- I think it would --

JENNIFER: (Inaudible mumbling.)

MR. SNOW: No, I think it would be difficult to draw a parallel. But this is an expression of opinion on the part of members of Congress. And therefore, it is appropriate to let them go ahead and express it. You don't want to -- this is not something where you negotiate and say, Senator, that's not your view. It doesn't work that way. I mean, a lot of times when you're dealing with a piece of legislation, you can sit down and you can try to work with folks. As a matter of fact, we made it clear to members of the House and Senate that we do want to work with them and share our views. But on something where they're trying to express their views, they're their views.

JENNIFER: But every vote is an expression of opinion. I mean, by that argument you could say --

MR. SNOW: Come on, Jennifer, no --

JENNIFER: -- we should never try to convince someone to vote a way that they don't --

MR. SNOW: I'm sorry, but when you're talking about the difference, for instance, on Social Security, or health care, or energy, you're dealing with specific provisions that have policy implications where an administration will be called upon to enact that law. This is different. It's a non-binding resolution that we think members ought to look at carefully to see what kind of message they're sending, but on the other hand, we don't think that it's appropriate to say, don't express your views. They've decided to do so, and it's appropriate.

JENNIFER: Well, would you concede that the White House has an interest in the outcome of this debate, particularly in that it may hold the President's policy up to further criticism?

MR. SNOW: We understand -- I'm sorry, would I concede?

JENNIFER: Yes.

MR. SNOW: No. Lousy verb. I think --

JENNIFER: It was deliberate.

MR. SNOW: I know. That's why I pointed it out. I know you choose it carefully. (Laughter.) This is great; he keeps the poker face longer than anybody on the front row. (Laughter.) In any event, actually, what's interesting is members, I think, are stepping back and they're thinking, okay, what message do we want to send, and how do we contribute in the long run to success of the mission in Iraq. We think it's going to be a healthy debate.

JENNIFER: Well, you say it's non-binding, but you have seven Republican senators now threatening to slow down the legislative process by attaching their measure to any bill that hits the floor. So clearly the White House must take -- must be concerned beyond that this is just a non-binding vote because it now has other consequences.

MR. SNOW: No. These are seven senators who, the other day, also voted against cloture because the cloture resolution didn't -- the resolution that was being sought for cloture didn't permit the free expression of views including their own.

This is -- you know, this is a process question involving members of the Senate. We are talking about something that is not going to happen this month. It gives members on both sides, in both parties, an opportunity to work through this. And I think rather than trying to squeeze a view out of the White House about what's likely to happen in three weeks, talk to the members. I think they're working that through, and I think it does have to do more with procedural matters within the United States Senate.

So the Senate has their game, and the WH Pressies have theirs. I love pure politics and I am amused by political games, but I absolutely execrate this nonsense (of the Senate) when it concerns our soldiers and possibly the future of civilization.