Two who are challenging the Don't-Mention-the-War Democrats

I'm Shocked! Shocked! Shocked! According to this Washington Post report today, a recent opinion poll

offered some hopeful signs for Bush and the Republicans as they prepare for the midterm elections. The big advantage that Democrats held on virtually every major issue has narrowed or reversed. On the question of which party is best able to handle the situation in Iraq, the Democrats' 14-point advantage in last month's Post-ABC poll has been cut in half; they now have a 47 percent lead over Republicans' 41 percent.
A month ago, Democrats held a five-point lead over Republicans on dealing with international terrorism. Republicans now hold a seven-point advantage. On the economy, the Democratic advantage has narrowed from 18 points to 13 points since May.

And the poll also found that the the

public gives both Bush and the Democrats low marks on having a plan for success in Iraq. Almost two in three (64 percent) said Bush does not have a clear plan, while almost three in four (71 percent) said the same about Democrats in Congress.

Interestingly enough,

The Post-ABC News poll found far more support for a deadline among Democrats than was reflected by Senate Democrats last week. Currently, 66 percent of all Democrats surveyed said they favor a deadline, up three percentage points from last December.
Even larger increases occurred among Republicans, 28 percent of whom now support a fixed timetable, up 10 points from December. The proportion of political independents favoring a firm date rose eight points, to 44 percent.

So... let's see. Is is possible that the results of this poll reflect the FAILURE by the "opposition party" to challenge President Bush's agenda in Iraq and present a coherent alternative? I think that is exactly the case.
One can debate whether the Democrats on Capitol Hill are not doing what they are suppposed to do because they are leaderless and incompetent or because many of them (the Don't-Don't-Mention-the-War Democrats) actually back much of what Bush is doing in Iraq. The Bottom Line is that the only way things are going to change is if Jim Webb in Virginia and Ned Lamont in Connecticut win in their respective senate races this year. Those who oppose the war and Bush's foreign policy should invest much of their efforts in these two races. These are the two important electoral battle-grounds as far as the issue of Iraq is concerned.
And if you want to cheer-up yourself, check-out all the great stuff that Dr. Strauss is posting on Stop The Spirit Of Zossen.