Sen. Obama: Just One Clue Away

Of the many, many dopey things said at the Democratic presidential debate in Orangeburg, SC, Sen. Obama's answer to the Iraq question stands out for its utter cluelessness:

But look, we are one vote away -- we were one signature away or 16 votes away from ending this war. One signature away. Now, if the president is not going to sign the bill that has been sent to him, then what we have to do is gather up 16 votes in order to override his veto.

Uh, no, Senator. You're not just "one signature away" from ending the war because you know--and have known for months--that President Bush is going to veto the Democrats' "surrender first" Iraq war bill. Saying you're just "one signature away" is like John Kerry saying he's just "one state's electoral votes" away from being president. In other words, you're NOT.

The same with the talk of "gathering up 16 votes" to override Bush's veto and push through the Obama plan. Senator, there AREN'T 16 GOP US senators who are going to vote with you. The vote was 51-46--a bare majority. Your brave, bold Iraq war plan is to round up 16 Senators to switch their votes? Why don't you round up 16 elves, fairies and sane Mike Gravel supporters while you're at it?

Sen. Obama's answer to the Iraq question, in other words, is sheer nonsense. Then again, so was Gov. Richardson's, Sen. Dodd's and just about everyone else's on the Democratic platform--with the glaring exception of Dennis Kucinich (D--His Mom's Basement).

While it is impossible for Senate Democrats to hypnotize President Bush and force him to sign their doomed legislation, it is completely possible for them to vote to end all funding for the war. Sure, the president will veto that, too, but he can't force them to pass a bill with war funds in it. They can win this fight through attrition. If, that is, they have the guts to fight.

They don't. Instead, they blather on about magic signatures, invisible votes and Democratic strategies for winning the war on terror. All things that don't exist.