John Nichols: Too Bad Mike Gravel's Not in the Senate

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from The Nation:


BLOG | Posted 09/21/2007 @ 12:34am
Too Bad Mike Gravel's Not in the Senate
John Nichols



The Senate wasted plenty of time avoiding meaningful debates about Iraq this week.

There was, to be sure, plenty of time for partisan bickering about whether troops should get a decent break between deployments to the quagmire, as if scheduling of soldier transportation is the real problem with this war. Time was found, as well, to condemn MoveOn.org for rhyming "Petraeus" with "Betray Us," as if the general is incapable of defending himself against the charge that he put aside the best interest of the troops he commands in Iraq, and of the nation he is sworn to serve, in order to mouth White House talking points.

Unfortunately, because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, never misses a chance to miss a chance, there was no real debate about the burning issue of Blackwater.

The private mercenaries of Blackwater USA went on a killing spree in Baghdad the other day, leaving 20 people dead and 35 wounded. The Iraqi government has responded appropriately by moving to revoke Blackwater's license to operate in the country.

Let's stipulate that soldiers serving in Iraq deserve a break from the hostilities in order to spend time with their families, and that Virginia Senator Jim Webb was right to raise the issue. Let's stipulate, as well, that the MoveOn ad really ticked off some Republicans -- and, apparently, some Democrats -- and that this is a worthy, if now dramatically over-extended, subject of debate.

But can we also stipulate that there may be weightier matters afoot, and that the Blackwater imbroglio heads the list of currently consequential developments?

With this in mind: Wouldn't this week have been better spent if, instead of trying to manage deployment timetables or New York Times advertising buys, the Senate had engaged in a serious debate about whether the United States respects the right of the supposedly sovereign nation of Iraq to prevent reckless mercenaries from wrecking havoc within its borders? .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=235215