THE WASHINGTON TIMES
By Alan Nathan
Published August 31, 2007
If we don’t wave the white flag fast enough in Iraq, we’ll get stuck with a victory and nothing could set a worse precedent — at least for those like House Majority Whip James Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat.
Seemingly preferring an electoral success over an international triumph, the otherwise savvy congressman told Washington Post reporter Dan Balz that if Gen. David Petraeus reports in September that the troop surge is working well, “That would be a real big problem for us, no question about that — simply because of those 47 Blue Dogs [centrist Democrats].” He argued that their numbers would be enough to continue congressional support for the surge should the Republicans remain as united as they’ve been.