The fight in the dog

It’s about time the Democrats stop playing politics and start playing hardball. For way too long now they’ve taken the concept of bipartisanship to the point of being the bitch for the conservatives, who talk a good game while poking you right in the eye and making you thank them for it.

Now, I hate the fact that Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania is considered a hawkish Democrat and voted in favor of the war in Iraq. But I love the fact that he has the guts to look at it now and say, we made a mistake and we’ve got to fix it. Now. Today Murtha, who choked on tears while he made his statement, called for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq and plans to introduce a resolution that would force the President to do that if it passes the House and Senate.

Of course, since the Emperor’s neo-con clothes began fraying at the edges recently, the Republicans were put in the unfamiliar position of being expected to explain themselves. But now they've started to regain their footing and are going on the offensive (in more ways than one). The beat is familiar, and the conservatives are dancing to it like it’s their chance on No-Soul Train.

Vice President Dick Cheney jumped into the fray Wednesday by assailing Democrats who contend the Bush administration manipulated intelligence on Iraq, calling their criticism “one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city."

But this is the good part: Normally, the Democrats would curl into the fetal position and limply swat back at their bullies, but this time Murtha has had enough of their guff.

Murtha, a Marine intelligence officer in Vietnam, angrily shot back at Cheney: "I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done." Referring to Bush, Murtha added: "I resent the fact, on Veterans Day, he criticized Democrats for criticizing them."

Oh, hell yeah! Now we just have to hope the rest of the Democrats don’t squander what momentum they have, follow Murtha’s example and start calling it like it is. I mean, where the hell is Howard Dean? Unleash that beautiful mad dog and say, “You wanna get nuts?!? Let’s get nuts!!!”