Iraq Pullout Bill Was A P.R. Stunt

NOTE: This was originally published by me on May 3, 2007 for randomn3ss.com

President Bush vetoed the “Iraq Pullout” bill this week, and it shocks me that seemingly nobody sees what a brilliant public image move it was for BOTH parities. This had very little to do with the troops or the war and quite a bit to do with the politicians in Washington looking good.

For the Democrats:
The party can say that they did everything they could to get the troops out tried to take a stand against the White House. They can say how they gave it all they had and that there was very little they could do to override the Presidential Veto. In essence, they “heard the cries of the American public and tried to act on their behalf.”

For the Republicans:
The party can say that they did their best to “reach across the aisle” and work with the Democrats. They can also say that they too took a firm stand in an attempt to get U.S. troops out of Iraq in a timely manner. They are able to tell their supporters, “We attempted to bring the troops home, but the President has a vision and we stand behind him.”

However, in reality, neither party did anything of substance. The Republicans knew going in that 1. Bush would veto the bill and 2. The Democrats don’t have nearly enough support to override the veto. So, it was a safe measure to support even if they didn’t agree with it.

Remember, a majority of these politicians are seeking re-election within the next 2 years, so they need to ensure having a good public image. When any of their constituents complain about the troops not coming home, they can simply fall back on the phrase, “We tried.”

Everybody (in congress) wins.