The Congressional Democrats have finally exhibited a little bit of spine by standing up to Preznit Fuckup A. Wetdream. Woo-fucking-hoo.

Now, let's see them do it without passing a spending bill that will bury our country further into debt. If they are so all-fired up to spend money, let's see them spend it directly on the troops, and helping them readjust to the world, once they get home.

If you did not watch Richard Engle's excellent Diary, by all means do so. He interviewed several GI's who basically spouted the all-Rove line about "You can't support us but not the mission here". Believe that the republicans will try to turn that logic into a major hammer to crush the Democrats with on matters of national security that anyone will listen to them on (helloooo, New York Times; calling the New York Times, official house [print] organ of the 1600 Crew).

The resolution is a great first step, but it's not time to conflate appropriating money for courthouses and shrimp-sexing research with getting our troops home. The republicans have been politically successful in part, because they could deliver unity at key moments based on what small principles they believed in (mostly worship of St. Ronnie of the Tax Cut); their overall strategy of corruption, greed and naked lust for power for the sake of power undid them.

But it's foolish to overlook the power of doing the right thing, for the sake of doing the right thing. Democrats need to understand the rewards for that will be greater longer than just delivering a courthouse or highway project in the next two years. There's a country to be saved, and it's not located between Iran and Syria.