End runs by Democrats

The Democrats are now wanting to float a re-do of the original authorization for the war in Iraq . Since debate on the non-binding resolution against Bush's "Surge" was stymied , they will now try anything . Kennedy wants the war resolution changed , and Murtha intends to withhold funding in as many ways as possible .
The Democrats know they can't do these things but will try an end run on Republicans who support the President by bringing up bills and resolutions they can't pass , just to get Republicans looking bad for the 08 voters . In other words , they still have no other plan than to bash Bush .

In http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1593819,00.html this article in Time ,
Michael Duffy relates the strategy as "...a new measure that sets new limits on the American mission in Iraq. The details of Reid's resolution are fuzzy because the Democratic leadership only just glommed onto this idea last week and the language of the resolution is still being worked out. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin said on Sunday that the new measure would set a deadline next year for withdrawal of some US forces — he did not say how many. It would most likely restrict US troops to training, support and counter-terror roles, though that too has to be worked out. Reid is expected to unveil the resolution on Tuesday. "

He also quotes "An aide to a more conservative Senator, who doesn't like what's going on in Iraq but is not willing to oppose the President, was more pointed. "They are all trying to figure out a way to embarrass the President and rally the netroots," he said. "It won't get very far."

"The idea to revisit the original war authorization was first proposed by Sen. Edward Kennedy in January and has been bouncing around the Senate chamber for a few weeks, talked up at various points by different Democratic senators. It was ignored chiefly because it had virtually no chance of winning any Republican votes — and that fact hasn't changed. "

"Republicans blocked debate on the non-binding resolution, and Democrats overplayed their hand in the House, meanwhile, when Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania threatened to withhold funds for any combat unit destined for Iraq which was undermanned or under-equipped in some way — an indirect Iraq no confidence vote. Republicans seized on this too-clever-by-half gambit, charging the majority with bleeding the troops and shrewdly challenging Democrats to simply cut off all funds if they didn't like the war. That worked. Murtha hasn't been heard from since, though his aides say he may say something in public this week about his next steps. "

In my view , this shows that they have NO plan for the war beyond denigrating Bush . Even when calling for withdrawals on a timeline , they are not clear , and some of their timelines closely match what the administration has proposed if Iran's own forces meet expectations as they finish the training we are providing them now .