Compare and Contrast

CNN.com is running a story that a high-ranking Democratic senator is saying he expects the U-S to start pulling troops out of Iraq sometime this year.

They got the headline wrong, and the analysis wrong, too.

The lead should say a high-ranking Democrat with a big mouth is endangering US forces in Iraq by speculating on when troop withdrawals might occur, emboldening opposition forces in that country by telegraphing our intentions.

"Just a little more time, al-Shamir, and the American dogs will run back to their decadent country and we can once again cleanse our land of the mongrel infidels and return to our old ways."

Senator Carl Levin, the ranking Democrat on both the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, says he believes some U-S soldiers will come home soon, according to the CNN story.

Meanwhile, President Bush is back from Baghdad after his surprise visit to meet Iraq’s new Prime Minister. I love it…you’ve got these windbags on capitol hill running off at the mouth in front of TV cameras, giving the enemy a heads-up when it's going to be safe to come back out of their caves, while the Commander in Chief is actually over there, getting a first-person look, and showing support for the troops in harms way.

Note the contrast.
Compare, and reflect.

By the way Congress got a 2% cost of living increase yesterday, by default. Oh they could vote to NOT receive the automatic COLA pay increase… one congressman tried to initiate a motion to pass on the raise...but by a 249-167 vote, the House rejected a procedural attempt to get a direct vote on the pay hike.

In other words, they voted not to vote on not giving themselves a raise.

The $3,300 annual increase places House lawmakers income at $183,500.

The pay raise also applies to the vice president -- who is president of the Senate -- as well as congressional leaders and Supreme Court justices.

Vice President Dick Cheney, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Chief Justice John Roberts earn $212,100. President Bush’s salary of $400,000 a year is not affected by this COLA provision for civil servants.