Video: Gates says the anti-surge
resolution “emboldens the enemy”   
Allahpundit

If you haven’t signed the pledge yet, now’s your chance.

Update: Mitch McConnell: “This is it.”

Update: CNN’s got a copy of the early draft of McCain’s resolution. Bet-hedging with an eye to 2008 or grudging compromise to draw support from the other resolutions?

While acknowledging that “past mistakes in U.S. strategy” have led to a “dire security situation in Iraq,” it presents 11 different “political, economic, and military benchmarks” the Iraqi government “must make visible, concrete progress toward meeting.”

The benchmarks include: ...

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A Plea To Save Our Iraq Mission
Bruce Kesler

We’d be a little nuts not to have doubts about either the surge or the fate of our Iraq mission, after so many disappointments along the way. But, we’d be insane to toss the mission in the trash, along with the nations and peoples who depend upon the United States to defend their opportunities for greater freedoms, security and development. Our president and his generals, who have more information and responsibilities than any of us, believe we have a decent chance to overcome.

The Democrat Party and some Republicans believe that they can better micromanage the war, or abandon it in effect by publicly undercutting the president, the mission, the resolve of Iraqis and others abroad, and the potentials through resolutions disagreeing with the president’s course.

That is entirely unacceptable.

If there was ever a time for every straight-thinking blogger and blog reader to stand up, loud and clear, this is it.

Hugh Hewitt has launched a petition drive to deliver a clear message to Republican legislators. ....

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“The Pledge” (II) 
Bruce Kesler

Equivocations and divisions do not work on the battlefield.
They only encourage adversaries to be more resolved and deadly, as we dissolve.

There comes a time to stand up. And, if you don’t, you are complicit with what happens.

The pledge to not support any Republican senators for re-election who vote for any of the weasely resolutions that to greater and lesser extent withhold full support for the surge is just such a time.

Some can try to justify such irresoluteness as politically expedient, in a time when many voters are either irresolute or opposed to winning, or as expressions of political conscience by senators who are unsure of results.

It cannot be justified. It is nothing less than completely irresponsible, as a senator, as a Republican, as an American.

Such resolutions have no other effect than to encourage our foes. ...

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Embarrassingly enough, I'd actually forgotten to sign the pledge myself till I read Kim's post here