Advice on Withdrawal from McGovern?

Does it make much sense to be taking advice from McGovern who couldn't even win a presidential run based on the runaway theme during Vietnam?

George McGovern, the former senator and Democratic presidential candidate, said Thursday that he will meet with more than 60 members of Congress next week to recommend a strategy to remove U.S. troops from Iraq by June.

If Democrats don't take steps to end the war in Iraq soon, they won't be in power very long, McGovern told reporters before a speech at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

"I think the Democratic leadership is wise enough to know that if they're going to follow the message that election sent, they're going to have to take steps to bring the war to a conclusion," he said.

McGovern will present his recommendations before the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a 62-member group led by Reps. Lynn Woolsey and Barbara Lee.

"The best way to reduce this insurgency is to get the American forces out of there," McGovern said. "That's what's driving this insurgency."

McGovern told the audience Thursday that the Iraq and Vietnam wars were equally "foolish enterprises" and that the current threat of terrorism developed because _ not before _ the United States went into Iraq.

He's partially correct that the insurgency is related to American troops, but not completely. In fact that insurgency will continue if and when the US military leaves due to that little fact that the sitting elected government came into existence due to the efforts of the US.

"I've talked with a lot of senior officers _ generals and admirals _ in preparation for this book, that say this war can't be won, that the problems now are not military problems," McGovern told reporters. "There isn't going to be any decisive victory in Iraq."

It is vital that Republican and Democratic legislators find common ground with one another and President Bush, McGovern said.

"Never let the new class of Democrats forget that they're there in considerable part because of the war the American public has now turned against," McGovern said. "That's going to have to be something that they have to explore with Republicans and with the White House."

Yep, remember the lessons of Vietnam. Can't win so you might as well not try. There is also the inconvenient truth that McGovern appears to be missing about what happened once the US bugged out. Remember the large numbers of deaths in South Vietnam? How about those boat people?

And let's not forget the realities unique to this theater. Terrorists will no doubt find new footing in Iraq as a base of operations. Terrorists will have further verification that the US can't complete any foreign conflict that is difficult or requires more than three years. That energy dependence that the US has in the middle-east won't be getting any cheaper, and with the agility seen in changing our energy dependence away from oil, it's certain that this will just be getting worse.

I'm really hoping that the moderate Dems won't be following the exceptionally loud fools in their party. Sadly, the new Representatives from NH are not likely to be following that advice.