Surprise, surprise

Dave Camp wanted to know what his constituents think about the war in Iraq, so he naturally went out to find out ... in a way meant to reinforce the same course of action Camp has advocated all along. And, what do you know ... he got exactly what he was after, and in a way that allows him to couch his vote against the Iraq resolution in a way that makes it look like it's the fault of his constituents rather than the representative.

That's some keen leadin', Dave.

Here are some highlights:

I share with my colleagues, the president, our service men and women and their families the wish that this war was over and won. It is not, and the resolution before us today does nothing to resolve this conflict, reduce the loss of American life, stabilize Iraq or advance our security.

And:

Friends, we may often disagree, but the facts are, regardless of how it began, and irrespective of the benefit of hindsight, we are at war and Iraq is the central battleground.
Islamic extremists are waging a Jihad against us, and they are struggling to make Iraq a base camp. Our focus must be on winning; and disturbingly I see no mention of winning, succeeding or victory in this resolution. That, in itself, is telling of just how the other side perceives this conflict: not in terms of defeating an enemy of America, but in terms of defeating a political foe.

Hear the sound of a hand slapping the head. The distressing thing isn't just that Dave apparently acknowledges that the invasion and subsequent occupation, which he supported, have gone disasterously wrong; or that he his solution to this screw up is to keep adding fuel to the fire; it's that he apparently has no clue what the conflict has turned into (note the translation, a little ways down, of an Arabic news report in which the various sectarian militias are lying low in hopes that we'll do their dirty work for them -- and willing to trick us into doing it). Has any of this penetrated the thinking of Dave Camp, or the realities that we're stuck in a civil war that could suck in the only people who've stayed out of it?

No, it hasn't. That's why Dave voted against a non-binding resolution against the president's strategy of more of the failing same.

It would be wrong to pick on poor Dave and his rotten, stinkin, unwise, blind support of the war without pointing out the monetary cost paid by the state of Michigan for this ongoing blunder of foreign policy. Not to mention the lives of Michigan residents.

Dave can pass the buck, as he did in his comments, to his constituents. Yes, yes, Dave, you were merely listening to the select few who got your survey; but we ought to expect, on tough issues, a little -- you know -- leadership.