He's no Ike

Let me start by saying that my first inclination was to call Sen. Reid a dumb son of a bitch. Having heard his comments from yesterday, specifically, "the war is lost", I sat dumbfounded and then cursed repeatedly.

But Sen. Reid is NOT a dumb man, whatever his pedigree. He's a very smart, very wily, very calculating, politician. His backroom deals and on-the floor parliamentary tricks have earned the respect of both sides of the aisle in the US Senate. Even in the minority, Reid often controlled floor agenda.

Reid knows he cannot get a bill past the President with a firm withdrawal date and that stalling troop funding is the current third rail of American politics. But he also knows the anti-war left, while not the majority of his party's members, control a large majority of its fundraising capabilities. So he has to look like he's doing something about the war.

As a consummate politician Reid has found a way to please the raving anti-war crowd and still maintain his political balance. He creates controversy and stirs national debate without any real action.

Unfortunately, his political maneuvering isn't executed in a vacuum. His comments have already resounded across the nation and the Middle East. He's emboldening not only domestic anti-war supporters but also terrorist insurgents and the anti-American forces in Iran, Syria, Somalia, and elsewhere.

Sen. Reid is a Senate floor mastermind and a skilled politician, but he is no general. He doesn't have the professional background, training or skills to give an accurate portrayal of US military capabilities. He needs to stick with what he does best, and leave the leadership of the most important forum for our nation at this time: the frontlines in Iraq, to the true experts.