After voting in March to get us out of Iraq, Congress capitulated two months later by passing a war budget that did not have a withdrawal date. It was depressing to have 86 Democrats join the Republicans by giving George Bush a blank check, and public opinion of Congress has justifiably plummeted since. But now the Democratic leadership has realized that waiting until September to “resume the fight” was an insanely stupid strategy – and yesterday, the House of Representatives voted 223-201 to begin withdrawal within the next four months. While the media dismissed the vote by saying that Bush will veto and the Democrats still lack a veto-proof majority, yesterday’s vote was significant because it means that the push to bring our troops home has resumed. Now the pressure is back on wavering Republicans who are left to choose between an increasingly delusional President – and the American people.

The “Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act” that passed yesterday is actually better than the first legislation that Congress passed in March, which the President promptly vetoed. Back then, Congress voted to fund the war for another $100 billion – a bitter pill to swallow, which is why many progressives opposed it – but set a firm deadline to get out of Iraq by August 1, 2008. But yesterday’s vote was not about funding the War. It just said that we have to start leaving in 120 days, and be gone by April 1st of next year.

Two months ago, the House failed by a vote of 171-255 to pass the McGovern Bill that called for an immediate withdrawal – after 59 Democrats would not support a vote that was meant to “ratchet up pressure” on the White House. In a way, this was the beginning of the end of Congress’ push to get us out of Iraq, after the voters had given them a clear mandate to end the War. When Democrats couldn’t speak with one voice to tell Bush what to do, any hope that Congress would deliver was gone.

Yesterday’s measure did not go as far as the McGovern bill – but at least it has started to turn the tide. What Congress effectively said was, “No, Mr. President, we will not wait until September to see how the ‘surge’ is working. The war was a mistake, and we need to start bringing our troops home.” And now the burden is back on the President to veto it. If he does it again (which we know he will), Congress must keep on sending it back.

Seventy percent of Americans oppose the war, and two-thirds say that we need to start leaving Iraq. But George Bush doesn’t care about public opinion, because he never has to face the voters again. Nor does he care about how history will judge him because “we’ll all be dead.” The only people who can end this War are Republicans in Congress, who must join the Democrats and override the President’s veto. For the sake of their own political relevance, they should have the brains to do so.

Incredibly, House Republicans continue to stick to the War and refuse to support a withdrawal date. In March, only two voted for the Supplemental that had a deadline. Yesterday, only two more joined them – Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri and Jimmy Duncan of Tennessee. As vote after vote continues to fall mostly on party lines, only one conclusion can be drawn: the Republicans are letting the President throw them off a cliff.

In the Senate, there are grumblings that a few Republicans are beginning to see the light. Olympia Snowe of Maine recently said that she will vote for withdrawal. Richard Lugar of Indiana, George Voinovich of Ohio and John Warner of Virginia have started to break from the White House – but so far, all we’ve heard is rhetoric. I’m not holding my breath to see if they’ll vote to get us out.

Unlike the House, 41 Senators can prevent anything from coming to a vote with the filibuster – and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell continues to play the role of chief obstructionist. Democrats only control the Senate by a 51-49 majority, and that includes Joe Lieberman. With the War getting worse every day, Lieberman has taken his maniacal support to a whole new level that should make anyone question his mental stability.

But at least the Democratic leadership has gotten the message – that May’s vote to give George Bush a “blank check” until September was a horrible mistake, and that they have a sacred obligation to continue fighting to end this War. While they have taken a beating in opinion polls for capitulating two months ago, Congressional Democrats are still more popular than the President, and far more popular than their Republican counterparts. No matter what Bush continues to do or say, they must fight harder to end this War to redeem themselves.

And yesterday’s vote was a good sign that things are beginning to change.

Send feedback to paul@beyondchron.org