Speaking of Bad Compromises...

...Congressional leaders tried to cut a deal with the White House on the Iraq bill, offering President Bush the ability to waive -- effectively, ignore -- timetables to redeploy combat troops out of Iraq.

The White House rejected the deal as not being a big enough cave-in.

By moving away from the principles in Congress' original bill and offering a bad deal, congressional leaders set themselves up for a lose-lose scenario:

Have the White House accept, and get a bad deal that won't end the occupation, as the public wants.

Or have the White House reject, and be placed in a weakened political position.

Political strength comes from fighting for principles embraced by the public, not from abandoning principles in the name of compromise and nonexistent middle ground.

The faster congressional leaders end the fantasy of compromising with the White House on Iraq, and return to opposing the White House's failed strategy of occupation, the better.

Views expressed on this page are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Campaign for America's Future or Institute for America's Future