Permanent Minority.

Appearing recently on NBC’s Meet the Press, Representative Rahm Emanuel refused to take a concrete position on Iraq that contrasts with George W. Bush’s “stay the course” nonsense. Emanuel, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said only that Democrats must demand “measurements” and “set standards” and avoid calling for an exit strategy or troop withdrawal, despite polls showing that the American people support such policies.

Toward the Majority.

In a Washington Post op-ed, Michigan Senator Carl Levin became the latest high-profile Democrat to indicate support for withdrawing troops from Iraq. In the course of his article Levin made it clear that an exit strategy is a pro-national security position because setting a timetable for withdrawal will provide an added incentive for Iraqis to take responsibility for their own security.