"A ping pong game with American lives"

Yesterday, Chuck Hegel made one of the most powerful statements I've heard from a Senator in a very long time. One that's been needed to be said. There is no plan. There is no strategy.



It's well past time that our political leaders stop fearing for their political future or -- in Bush's case, his delusional belief in his "legacy (yes, that is all he cares about, despite his denials) -- and pointed out that we are talking about lives, American and Iraqi. Lives being lost because of political calculations that with a few more troop and a few more months the civil war will somehow evaporate, insurgents will mysteriously lay down their arms. A few more troops and tough talk with Iran will embolden Iraqi troops and somehow make IEDs suddenly disappear. It's insane. Meanwhile, Case says troops will be home for the July 4th b-b-q, Petraeus says we're in it for the long haul. Do they even talk to each other?

With all due respect to Petraeus -- and I do respect him -- he's giving aid and comfort to a "strategy" that even his handbook for dealing with insurgencies would say is too little and far too late.

It’s time to demand a plan – one for ending this horrible debacle.