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Reid and Pelosi Decline to Join Kennedy

February 1, 2005 Posted by John at 8:27 AM

Ted Kennedy's lack of wisdom in giving a petulant speech about Iraq before the results of Sunday's vote is now apparent. Both Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi disagreed with Kennedy's demand to start withdrawing troops and set a timetable to complete the withdrawal yesterday. Reid said, sensibly:

As far as setting a timeline, as we learned in the Balkans, that's not a wise decision, because it only empowers those who don't want us there. And it doesn't work well to do that.

Does this mean that Kennedy is all alone on his party's left flank as far as Iraq is concerned? Maybe, but I doubt it. More likely, Reid and Pelosi were cowed by the stunning success of Sunday's election and have decided, for now, that discretion is the better part of valor.