An astonishing turnaround occurred in the Senate on
Tuesday: 70 senators voted to fund the Iraq war with a fresh $70
billion and no strings attached. Think about this a moment. Last winter, after
Democrats captured the Senate and House, it seemed likely they'd succeed in
limiting or ending the Iraq war, probably by setting a firm timetable for
withdrawal of American troops. After all, both President Bush and the war itself
were highly unpopular. The Democratic triumph in the election made that clear,
even to those who doubted opinion polls. And Democrats made the anti-Iraq
crusade their top priority in the new Congress. Now, the 70-vote approval of the
war by the Senate represents the breathtaking dimension of their
failure.
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