For many Democrats, the victories that will give the party control of the House and its apparent victory in the Senate, taste like dessert after six years of humiliating losses. And today's announcement of Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld's resignation seems like the cherry on top.
But I believe the honeymoon will not last too long. If comments like those of Howard Dean and even Rahm Emanuel are any guide, voters expecting an announcement of troop withdrawals in the near future will be sorely mistaken. During his color (blue) commentary on CNN, Paul Begala spoke of how control of the House will enable Democrats to provide "oversight" on the progress of the war. Oversight? The only oversight most voters are willing to accept is that Democrats will "forget" to find a significant committee chair in the Senate for John Kerry.
Personally, I suspect both Dean and Begala and others are correct and the campaign vitriol will subside. With the election over and Rummy sipping margaritas on spring break, Democrats will search for a face-saving way of not pulling out of the war (and let's face it, doing so too quickly would be a tragic, irresponsible mistake). Depending on how change happens, it will clearly have ramifications for the run for the White House -- not only regarding who wins, but who runs.
As a self-avowed (moderate) Democrat, I believe it's significant that the party won yesterday. But we should no more fly "mission accomplished" signs in Congress or over state houses than President Bush should have landed on an aircraft carrier hoisting a similar message. The mission has just begun. Let's see some honest politicians for a change
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