Strange Bedfellows
Saddam’s offer of renewed inspections has probably gummed up the works in the U.N., but it seems to have knocked the Democratic party into a new position.
We don’t know what this administration wants to do,” Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said on ABC’s ”This Week.” He said President Bush had yet to ask for a resolution on Iraq. But Bush’s national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, said: ”Obviously, it is up to the Congress to offer resolutions, not to the administration.”
Several leading lawmakers made clear they will consider such resolutions on their own timetable.
Daschle was noncommittal on whether Congress could pass such a resolution before Election Day, saying only that it was possible.
Sept. 18th
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, who has sent mixed signals on Bush’s Iraq policy, said Congress would pass a resolution supporting tough action against Iraq before adjourning for the November election.
Daschle’s tone was far friendlier to the administration than it was last week.
“We said go to the United Nations. They did. We said acknowledge that you have to come to Congress. They have. We said begin to make the case. They have,” Daschle said. “They are doing these things that we have proposed, and I think it’s time for us to reciprocate.”
But why, exactly? On the face of things, it would not appear that much has changed for the Democrats. I suppose there’s a possibility that new intelligence has come in, indicating that Saddam is close enough to the bomb to sway some of the less ardent doves. Hard to believe that, since I think it would be leaked almost immediately. It’s also possible that by making it fairly obvious that we’re not going to get a resolution out of the United Nations any time soon, Saddam has forced the Democrats to abandon that avenue of delay. A third option is that the Democrat’s internal polling has indicated that delaying a vote is hindering them rather than helping them in the November elections. Or possibly George told Tom the date we roll on, and the Congress wishes to don the fig leaf of “advise and consent” by approving action already scheduled.
