Iraq politics: Show on Capitol Hill
Posted: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 9:08 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
2008, Security
Some poll numbers to consider for the hearings… According to last month’s NBC/WSJ survey, 53% said achieving victory in Iraq isn’t possible versus 40% who said the opposite. Moreover, 52% responded that the most responsible thing the US can do is find a way to withdraw most US troops from Iraq by the beginning of 2009. By comparison, 43% said the most responsible thing is to remain in Iraq until the situation in the country is stable. And there’s this recent quote from retiring Army Vice Chief of Staff Richard Cody: "The current demand for our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds the sustainable supply, and limits our ability to provide ready forces for other contingencies… Soldiers, families, support systems and equipment are stretched and stressed… Overall, our readiness is being consumed as fast as we build it. If unaddressed, this lack of balance poses a significant risk to the all-volunteer force and degrades the Army’s ability to make a timely response to other contingencies."
In a piece on MSNBC.com, NBC’s Ken Strickland sets the stage for today’s Senate hearings on Iraq. On McCain: “As the top Republican on the [Armed Services] panel, the spotlight inevitably falls on the Arizona senator. Other than Committee Chairman Carl Levin, McCain will be the only member allotted time to make an opening statement. And once the questioning begins, alternating back and forth from Democrat to Republican, he'll have the first GOP opportunity to address both men.”
Regarding Clinton: “As the 10th in seniority among the 13 Democrats on the panel, Clinton's round of questioning could come late in the hearing, after many of the obvious questions have been asked and answered. It could easily be two and a half hours before her voice is heard… Her Senior Adviser Philippe Reines said he "expects that the committee will question [Petraeus and Crocker] closely on the lack of political progress in Iraq, the rising influence of Iran in Iraq and the region and the strain on our military caused by the continuing presence of large numbers of troops in Iraq."
“As for Obama, he will not have to share the stage with either his Democratic or Republican rivals when the Foreign Relations Committee meets later Tuesday afternoon. And although he sits toward the bottom of the seniority totem pole, he enjoys the backing of half of the group's Democrats, lead by former opponent Chris Dodd and '04 nominee John Kerry.”
Strickland also asks: What is Obama doing this morning while McCain and Clinton exchange pleasantries during the Armed Services Committee questioning of Petraeus? (Remember the spotlight on Obama doesn't come on until 2:30 pm ET, when the Foreign Relations Committee goes.) Well, he'll be presiding over his OWN hearing and have his OWN gavel -- large and in charge as "Chairman Obama." What's the hearing? It's the Foreign Relations Committee ambassador nominations hearing for Finland, Slovenia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and NATO, of course.
Why? Well, as the Subcommittee Chairman for European Affairs, that's his duty. Remember awhile back when Senator Clinton reminded America that Obama didn't call any NATO/Afghanistan hearings in the subcommittee he was chairman? This is THAT committee.
The New York Times also looks at how presidential politics will play today. "Each of the three is determined to use the spectacle to advantage, but all face political risks as well as opportunities in the back-to-back hearings before the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees. ’They’re going to be walking a tightrope over the Grand Canyon,’ said Alan K. Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming who was a member of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group that in 2006 recommended a change of administration strategy in Iraq. ‘Everyone is going to be watching this like hawks.’”
The Wall Street Journal notes that, beyond troop levels, the Iran question could be one of today's hot topics.
