Harry Reid's statement of defeat echoes in the Middle East

Now that Harry Reid has declared the war in Iraq has been lost, he can soothe himself that his words have echoed in at least one corner of the world. As Eugene Volokh points out, the Middle Eastern press has taken Reid's words and featured them.

Senator Lieberman has issued a statement chastising Reid for declaring that the war is lost.

Al Qaeda's strategy for victory in Iraq is clear. They are trying to murder as many innocent civilians as possible in an effort to reignite sectarian fighting and drive us to retreat from Iraq.

The question now before us is whether we respond to these terrorist attacks by running away as Al Qaeda hopes - abandoning the future of Iraq, the Middle East, and ultimately our own security to the very same people responsible for this week's atrocities - or whether we stand united to fight them.

This is exactly the wrong time to conclude that we have lost the war in Iraq, or that our new strategy has failed. Instead, we should provide General Petraeus and his troops with the time and the resources to succeed. We should not surrender in the face of barbarism."

Harry Reid denies that he is pulling for defeat.

"In an effort to shift attention from this Administration's failed polities – and I say that in the plural – the President and his allies have repeatedly questioned whether I and my fellow Democrats support our troops," the majority leader told fellow senators. "No one wants us to succeed in Iraq more than the Democrats. We've proven that time and time again since this war started more than four years ago. We take a back seat to no one in supporting our troops, and we will never abandon our troops in a time of war.

(hat tip to Michelle Malkin)

Unfortunately for Senator Reid, he earlier revealed his real interst in this entire debate and also has demonstrated his lack of political acumen by bragging publicly how opposition to the Iraq War will help Democrats in the 2008 elections so perhaps he thinks that there is some political benefit for trumpeting defeat. He and Senator Schumer were out a week ago bragging about how much defeat in Iraq was helping the Democratic Party.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday he plans to continue an aggressive push for an early withdrawal from Iraq and does not particularly care that Republicans will try to paint that position as a lack of support for U.S. forces.

Why? Because “We are going to pick up Senate seats as a result of this war,” the Nevada Democrat predicted at a news conference.

Sitting next to him was the man charged with making that happen: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles E. Schumer of New York.

“The war in Iraq is a lead weight attached to their ankle,” Schumer warned, predicting that congressional Democrats will pick up additional Republican votes for Democratic initiatives as the 2008 elections approach.

“We will break them, because they are looking extinction in the eye,” Schumer declared, making no attempt to hide his glee.

So, if they have this gleeful attitude towards the political benefits they'll gain from a defeat in Iraq, is it any surprise to see Harry Reid out there proclaiming the war is lost? If defeat provides votes for his party, does Reid have any honest interest in an American victory? I guess not.

I bet that the RNC has an ad in the works juxtaposing Reid's jubilance of what the war means for the political prospects of the Democrats and his declaration that the war is lost. Perhaps they'll throw in a few headlines from the Middle East media showing how his words found echoes of support among those who wish America ill.

Check out Michelle Malkin's site here and here for responses from those in the military to the man Michelle calls Senator "Lost It" Reid.