Shame In the House

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill this afternoon to begin the retreat from Iraq by a vote of 223-201. To see how your reps voted, go here.

The bad news: this is exactly the sort of thing that demoralizes our troops by sending the signal that their elected leaders are bailing out. It also encourages our enemies by sending the same signal.

The good news: this is nowhere near the 2/3 majority that would be needed to make the bill veto-proof (it's a safe assumption that Bush will veto the bill).

This bill is likely not going anywhere, so it's not going to cause any damage that way, but the perception it sends could have huge negative ramifications. Time will tell.

There's my two cents.

***UPDATE: Michelle Malkin nicely summarizes the key points. Regarding the outcome, House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) says, in part: "Democrats in the House once again this evening put themselves on record in support of a strategy of surrender in Iraq – this time passing a bill that satisfies their temporary political needs, but fails to consider the needs of our troops and commanders in the field."

When the 2008 election comes knocking, just remember which party is fighting to surrender, and which party is fighting to succeed.