There they go again

Defeatists at the helm of the DNC

By Tommy Owens
From the February 2006 Print Edition

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, a former presidential candidate and head of the entire Democratic Party, has crossed the line in his Iraq war criticisms. In a radio interview conducted in December, Dean remarked, “the idea that we are going to win this war is an idea that unfortunately is just plain wrong.” Gone are the days when the Democratic leadership only criticized the conduct of the war or the legitimacy of the war itself; now they have predicted failure for the 150,000+ U.S. soldiers currently serving in Iraq.

To reinforce his argument that the United States, and by extension, democracy, will fail in Iraq, Dean might point to the daily attacks and sectarian strife which are commonly found from Tikrit in the north to Basra in the south. He might cite errors in U.S. post-war planning, especially those of the Coalition Provisional Authority which assumed control of Iraq immediately after the collapse of Saddam’s Ba’ath party government. Additionally, Dean might criticize current U.S. force levels, citing a widespread notion that there is a need for more soldiers to stabilize the region.

Those arguments, however, do not stand against the least bit of critical analysis. The daily attacks and sectarian tensions do indeed exist, but after three very successful nation-wide elections in 2005 alone, Iraq’s basic parliamentary government is beginning to take shape. This government will, despite the nay-saying of some, be inclusive of Sunni Arabs — many of whom have already formed political parties. Eleven million Iraqis voted in the December elections — including massive numbers of previously reluctant Sunnis. Turnout was around 70 percent nationwide, and according to Reuters, 83 percent in Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit! Voter turnout in Iraq’s three successful elections, in many cases, exceeded turnout in U.S. presidential races.

Yes, there were errors in post-Iraq war planning. But there were errors, and a brief insurgency for that matter, in post World War II Germany as well. Should we have pulled out of Germany too? Sovereignty is now controlled by Iraqis and Iraqis alone. Iraqi soldiers, national guardsmen, and police officers are now being trained and deployed at a furious pace.

Dean and other high-profile Democrats have also criticized current troop levels in Iraq saying there are an insufficient number of U.S. soldiers deployed. President Bush, however, relies on the information — especially troop deployment levels — he regularly receives from the generals in Iraq. Who better to understand the situation than those in charge and on the ground? To be fair, errors were made in the past, but in order to ensure victory in Iraq we must concentrate on the tasks at hand and help Iraqis defend the democracy for which many of them, and our own servicemen and servicewomen, have given that last full measure of devotion.

Howard Dean began making outrageous comments and criticisms long before he was voted chairman of the DNC in February 2005. But his criticisms are now much more scrutinized, as they should be, because Dean has been elected to head the group which represents almost half of America. Instead of bringing the country together in an inclusive fashion, Dean has resorted to low blows, generalizations, and fatalist rhetoric. He referred to the GOP as “a pretty monolithic party. They all behave the same. They all look the same. It’s pretty much a white Christian party.” Tell that to Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Senator Mel Martinez, or Bill Kristol.

Dean’s Iraq war criticism has not only been criticized by the political right, but also by the political left. Representative Jim Marshall, D-Ga., said, “Dean’s take on Iraq makes even less sense than the scream in Iowa: both are uninformed and unhelpful.” Senator Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said, “I’m not speaking for Howard Dean, and Howard Dean is not speaking for me.” Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., has also been a critic of Dean’s many sudden outbursts of political passion. You know things are out of place when a freshman senator criticizes his party chairman.

Chairman Dean’s remarks are not unpatriotic or un-American; every citizen deserves equal First Amendment rights. But they are evident of a lack of a cohesive Democratic Iraq plan. Dean, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid should come up with a simple five-point or 10-point plan on how to achieve victory in Iraq and bring our soldiers home with dignity. They should then broadcast their new plan to the media — which will obviously be eager to explain it and repeat it to the American public. To not come up with a plan and merely slam the president and the GOP-held Congress is absolutely irresponsible.

Dean’s conduct, both in his baseless criticisms and his public tantrums, are evidence that he is unfit to lead a major, national political party. He believes that by pulling the Democrats to the left, the liberal base will become energized and thus, win elections. On the contrary, the only way the Democrats win nationally is when they adopt a centrist platform and nominate moderates; Bill Clinton’s electoral victories in 1992 and 1996 are perfect examples. Even if the idea of democracy prevailing in Iraq is just plain wrong, attacking it in the manner Dean has is just plain stupid.

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