Thoughts on Biden's Remarks

I hope you've had a chance to listen to Sen. Joe Biden speak in the post below. He is obviously feeling warm as he makes his comments.

In the second segment, he makes a compelling argument regarding the Congressional authorization. He says that resolution authorized:

1. Removal of Saddam
2. Ridding Iraq of WMD
3. Bringing Iraq into compliance with UN Resolutions.

Those goals have all been accomplished (with the small matter that the WMD did not exist).

Thus, the President's authorization is expired. The Congress is right to act in such a fashion to bring this war to an end.

Both the Senate and House have now passed measures with timetables for a 'phased redeployment.' The President threatens a veto. Now Sen. Majority Leader Reid says he will then move to cut off funding. I doubt that he will follow through, but it is good to see the Congress making an eff0rt to exert its proper constitutional role. While cutting off funding for troops in the field must be an absolute last resort (not the sort of 'last resort' that Bush used to put us in Iraq), applying the threat may keep the pressure on an administration that seems incapable of self-evaluation and persuasion by logic. Pressure may be the only lever available.