It's 'Put Up or Shut Up' Time, Folks

In light of the news that yet another swing-state Republican Senator is speaking out against the Iraq war (it was a totally awesome war up until now), Senate Majority Leader Reid echoes my sentiments on this political kabuki theatre. It's put up or shut up time.

Reid said in a statement this afternoon-

"Senator Domenici is correct to assess that the Administration's war strategy is misguided. But we will not see a much-needed change of course in Iraq until Republicans like Senators Domenici, Lugar and Voinovich are willing to stand up to President Bush and his stubborn clinging to a failed policy – and more importantly, back up their words with action. Beginning with the Defense Authorization bill next week, Republicans will have the opportunity to not just say the right things on Iraq, but vote the right way too so that we can bring the responsible end to this war that the American people demand and deserve.

As evidence mounts that the 'surge' is failing to make Iraq more secure, we cannot wait until the Administration's September report before we change course. President Bush and the Iraqis must move now to finally accept a measure of accountability for this war, implement the Iraq Study Group recommendations, transition the mission for our combat troops and start bringing them home from an intractable civil war."

And let's hope Sen. Reid is willing to back up his words with action too.

Otherwise, it's just more of that 'courageous waiting' Stephen Colbert mentioned last week.

[PS- Senator Domenici, of course, has a reason to be worried heading into 2008. In addition to general anti-GOP sentiment, he is a key figure in the U.S. Attorney purge scandal. Angry that then-U.S. Attorney David Iglesias wasn't engaging in the partisan hackery they wanted, Domenici made an appeal to the White House, and, surprise surprise, Iglesias was fired. This Domenici's a real man of the people for sure.

PPS- Rep. Doolittle (R-CA), facing a corruption scandal, also rhetorically abandons the war.]