Taking A Cue From The Cumaean Sybil

Check this out from Kossack Geekesque (emphases mine):

As I diaried the other day, the Democrats are using the strategy of Divide and Conquer.

They are peeling 1-2 Republican Senators away from the President each go around. Eventually, the entire caucus–especially vulnerable incumbents–will refuse to carry water for Bush. Eventually, his lawn will turn brown.

What better way to maximize this pressure than to apply it repeatedly instead of once or twice?

The important thing to realize is that Congressional Republicans hate voting on Iraq. They hate having their names mentioned in the same paragraph as “Bush” and “Iraq.”

They decided to play matador and let Bush be the story and take the blame for any defeat of the funding bill.

Phew, they think, we dodged that one.

Not so fast, guys.

Buried in today’s Washington Post is this little nugget:

Conservative Democrats also discussed alternatives for providing troop funding, if the standoff proves to be prolonged. For instance, Reps. Dennis Cardoza (Calif.) and Mike Ross (Ark.) suggested that the war funding be parceled out in three-month increments to force Bush to keep coming back for more.

Both Cardoza and Ross are Blue Doggies.

Pretty uninspiring stuff at first glance, as you would expect from that particular caucus.

Until you realize that it means that the issue of Iraq will be one continuous political nightmare for Republicans. Their attention will always be on the next Iraq war vote and how to explain to their constituents why they endorse a blank check for the least popular and worst president in the history of the United States.

So, pass the bill with binding withdrawal language. Bush will veto it. Force the Republicans to vote again on the veto override.

Then give him three months of funding and remind Senate Republicans to circle that date on their calendar.

Then come back with an even stronger bill–make the Murtha language mandatory. Drop waiver and other wiggle room.

Force the Republicans to vote with Mr. Popularity. Twice.

Then give them another three months. And remind them to circle the date on their calendars.

And then come back with an even stronger bill.

The key is to never give that rat bastard in the White House more than three months on his leash, and to never give any rest or peace of mind to his enablers in Congress.

This is straight out of the La Cosa Nostra playbook — or the one that the Cumaean Sybil used on Tarquinus Superbus. Truly, it is the offer they dare not continue to refuse.