Gutless

How else to explain the vote today in the House of Representatives regarding President Bush's Iraq policy?  Anti-war sentiment is certainly respectable and it is the job of those elements, who now largely control Congress, to challenge the President.  But that is not what the Democrats have chosen to do.  This resolution is non-binding and thus has no practical effect.  If they are so right and this war is so unjust, propose to revoke funding immediately for all efforts in Iraq.  That's a respectable position.  But what the Democrats want is all the benefits of political posturing without any of the responsibilities of actually governing.  When Nancy Pelosi throws her support behind a bill that pulls funding from the "surge" or any significant aspect of the Iraq operation, I will take her and her party seriously.  Until then: gutless.

Update: In this sense I disagree with Powerline and Jason, respectfully.  If one believes that the policy in Iraq cannot succeed, or if one calculates that the number of American lives it might take to make it succeed is not worth the benefit, why wouldn't one be for pulling out?  While that might lead to "defeat," it is not necessarily "defeatism."  Such a person might want to succeed in Iraq, but has calculated that it is impossible.  I do not doubt there are some Democrats who are simply defeatist, but I don't think voting for this resolution necessarily brings that appellation on an individual.  If there is a problem with the Democrats it is not that they are "cutting and running," but that they misdiagnose the importance of Iraq to fighting global Islamist terrorism and protecting the values of Western Civilization. 

Update II: It looks like Rudy Giuliani is making my point (or I am making his).  From Larry King show:

Giuliani: We have a right of free speech in this country and we elect     people to make decisions.
 
Here's what I would prefer to see them do, though, if you ask me what's my     view on that. The non-binding resolution thing gets me more than are you for     it or against it. I have tremendous respect for the people who feel that we     either made a mistake going to war, who voted against the war, who now have     come to the conclusion, changed their minds--they have every right to that--that     it's wrong. You should, in a dynamic situation, keep questioning.

What I don't like is the idea of a non-binding resolution.

King: Because?

Giuliani: Because there's no decision.

King: But it's a--making a--it's a statement.

Giuliani: Yes, but that's what you do. That's what Tim Russert does.     That's what Rush Limbaugh does. That's what you guys do, you make comments.     We pay them to make decisions, not just to make comments. We pay them to decide.     . . . And maybe it's because I, you know, I ran a government     and I tend to be a decisive person. I like decisions. And I think one of the     things wrong with Washington is they don't want to make tough decisions anymore.