So, the focus-group tested "cut and run" phrase has now taken the place of any meaningful discussion in the Congress, and we can continue to watch our young men and women who voluneteered to defend our country have their lives wasted as political pawns for incredibly corrupt (morally and in every other way) politicians who don't give a fart in a windstorm about them except at election time.

The Senate today rejected proposals on withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, decisively voting down two competing Democratic amendments -- one that set a deadline for a pullout and the other that stopped short of establishing a timetable.

Senators first voted 86-13 to defeat a proposal , offered by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.), to "require a redeployment" from Iraq starting immediately and to be substantially completed by July 1, 2007.

A second measure , advanced by Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), drew support from more Democrats but still went down, 60-39. The nonbinding "sense of Congress" proposal urged President Bush to start pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq this year but did not set a withdrawal deadline.

Both proposals, offered as amendments to the 2007 defense authorization bill, were denounced by Republicans as advocating "defeatism" and a strategy of "cut and run."

In a floor speech, the majority leader said, "The proponents of these amendments want us to tell the new government of Iraq that we are leaving . . . no matter what the implications for the future of their country, no matter how much they plead with us to stay." He asserted that the proposals may differ in some details, "but the bottom line is exactly the same: the amendments tell us to set a deadline and leave by that deadline. This would be a dangerous policy, a reckless policy, a shameless policy."

Frist added, "The time to leave Iraq is when we have achieved or objectives. If we knew our objectives were unachievable, then these amendments might make sense. But our objectives are achievable, and we are achieving them." He charged that the amendments carry "the spirit of defeatism and surrender."

Fristy also has a son, who I believe is old enough to go off and serve in Mess O'Potamia, something that will never happen since republican Noblesse Oblige is limited to internships at the Heritage or American Enterprise Institutes where shedding blood for your country is restricted to paper cuts and coming to work hung-over from too much partying with your future K-Street corporate masters.

The temperature in Baghdad is 91 degrees at 11PM local time, the winds are from the west-southwest at 12 mph, the altimeter is 29.65 and the visibility is 6.2 miles. Sounds like a good place for a young republican to hump some field gear, while looking for IEDs, now that the minimum age for enlistment is now 42. Surely the Scion of Frist could stand a summer vacation...that lasted about 14 months and a return trip to boot.

91 degrees and a 56 degrees dewpoint around midnight and summer has only just begun. Well, at least it's a dry heat.