Seven more brigades for Iraq

Andrew Sullivan is reporting, based on Power Line Forum, that Senator McCain is proposing sending seven more brigades into Iraq.

He states that this is the minimum required. Further, he says, "security is the precondition for political progress and economic development, and we need more troops on the ground. But to make a real difference, any surge must be substantial and sustained."

McCain admits:

Increasing U.S. troop levels in Iraq will expose more brave Americans to danger, and increase the number of American casualties. Extending combat tours and accelerating the deployment of additional brigades is a terrible sacrifice to impose on the best patriots among us, and they will understandably be disappointed. Then they will shoulder their weapons, and do everything duty requires to win this war.

In prepared remarks Senator Ted Kennedy was to deliver later on today to the National Press Club, he said: "The best immediate way to support our troops is by refusing to inject more and more of them into the cauldron of a civil war that can be resolved only by the people and government of Iraq. (News24.com)

From the Examiner.com:

In the House, Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., introduced a resolution urging the president not to send additional troops. The resolution also asks that the president seek Congress's permission if he wants to raise levels beyond 132,000.

Senate Democrats were planning to bring to the floor next week a nonbinding measure that would urge the president not to send more troops. The resolution, which Democrats said they hoped would win support from some Republicans, would not force the president's hand on Iraq or try to cut money for troops, they said.

Sen. Harry Reid said he did not believe Democrats would need to do more to twist the president's arm.

"I really believe that if we can come up with a bipartisan approach to this escalation it will do more to change the direction in Iraq than anything else we can do," Reid, D-Nev., told reporters.

Oh please, listen to the Democrats, Mr. Bush. If my job as a poet is "to name the unnameable" and "to take sides" (see the subtitle above to my blog), that's what I'm doing now...

theteach