Lugar backs down

From the New York Times:

A handful of Republicans who have distanced themselves from President Bush on the war in Iraq refused Tuesday to back a plan to withdraw American troops from the conflict, leaving Senate Democrats short of the support needed to force a vote on their proposal.
...
Senators Richard G. Lugar of Indiana and Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico, two senior Republicans who recently delivered a high-profile criticism of the administration’s Iraq policy, also planned to oppose the Democratic plan, aides said.

What'd I tell ya? Richard Lugar is all talk. Or are we expecting his own nonbinding bill to force change?

Chump.

Hey, Senator Lugar: talk is cheap

So there was a big Iraq War bill that got voted on in the Senate today, introduced by Senator James Webb (D-VA), former Secretary of the Navy. It was on troops readiness, specifically that the Administration has to allow soldiers a modicum of time for training before sending them into the meat grinder. It was recommended by the Iraq Study Group, and though it didn't pass McConnell's FILIBUSTER, it did get the votes of no fewer than seven Republicans, a virtual miracle in today's lockstep groupthink GOP:

Chuck Hagel (co-sponsor)
Olympia Snowe
Susan Collins
Gordon Smith
John Sununu
John Warner
Norm Coleman

Notice any names missing? Maybe the name of a certain "very serious," "very wise and trustworthy" senior senator from Indiana? I never thought such an "esteemed" legislator would deny American soldiers adequate training so that he could protect the men behind a war more unpopular than Vietnam.

Dick Lugar: cowardly and immoral.