Antiwar Dems Threatened by Bipartisanship

Politico reports today that the most ardent of the antiwar Democrats are very concerned that bipartisanship could suddenly break out in Congress and leave them out in the cold:

Compromise is beginning to sound like a dirty word to anti-war Democrats, who suddenly find themselves in a defensive posture after months of dominating the political debate over the war in Iraq.

The emerging movement among Democratic leaders in Congress to find some middle ground on troop withdrawal deadlines is being met with severe pushback from rank-and-file Democrats in both chambers who are startled that their leaders are suddenly seeking bipartisan consensus on the war.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are working from a position of realism, knowing that their eight-month effort to win over enough Republicans to end the war has stalled. And Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), two of the most respected military voices in the Democratic caucus, are considering a mandated withdrawal that lacks a completion date for pullout, leaving the process somewhat open-ended.

The Democratic movement reflects the expectation that there may be just enough positive news from Army Gen. David Petraeus' report next week to make some Democrats, as well as moderate Republicans, reconsider joining the anti-war crowd.

But based on comments from anti-war Democrats, the more moderate exit plan could backfire on Democratic leaders who will lose Democratic votes as they seek consensus.

Anti-war Democrats, along with the special interest groups that back them, are engineering a swift pushback against this spirit of compromise.

"Anything that takes us back from where we were this spring [a firm withdrawal date] is unacceptable," said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), one of the founding members of the 70-plus member Out of Iraq Caucus in the House. "Bipartisanship is great … only if it puts together an orderly withdrawal of the troops."

Once again you have the situation in which Democrats find themselves hoping for bad news for America in order to promote their agenda of surrender and withdrawal. Good news from General Petraeus can undo all their plans, and they can't have that.