A new responsibility in foreign policy

The unexpected Democratic congressional victory of 2006 shakes the political status quo in ways that were unexpected. Democrats go from being a powerless entity in the wilderness to actually having to exercise a significant amount of responsibility for world events. After twelve years of near irrelevance, the capacity for exercising this responsibility could well be atrophied.

Monitoring the progressive blogs, we see the difficulty in adjusting from a resistance movement to party partially in power. While I applaud Nancy Pelosi's 100 hours agenda as both principled and politically savvy, it is in the area of foreign policy that the Democratic responsibility will be sorely tested.

Personally, I advocate an immediate, unequivocal phased withdrawal from Iraq to over the horizon bases. Keeping troops in Iraq will leave them increasingly vulnerable to the day when the multiple local factions, having had enough of the occupation and not needing it any longer for whatever political advantage, simply sever our supply lines and starve our troops in place. The resulting chaotic withdrawal will not be a pretty picture. If Bush had an iota of brain cells left, he would recognize that it is better to withdraw with some honor now, while it is possible. I'm not holding my breath.