OUT of IRAQ

In SLATE, Emily Bazelon outlines ways Congress could stop the war if it wanted to. Instead of merely passing a resolution expressing disapproval, Democrats could invoke some options with real bite. One option would be to unauthorized the war--or reauthorize it on a limited basis. "The idea is that the reasons we thought we were going to war--Saddam's supposed weapons of mass destruction and alleged operational relationship with al-Qaida--have nothing to do with the current conflict," Bazelon argues. Congress could also cut off money, attach conditions to money, or set a time limit for withdrawal or redeployment. Also in SLATE, Jacob Weisberg argues that Congress won't stop the war because of "learned helplessness." In a classic experiment, Weisberg writes, "dogs subjected to repeated electrical shocks would prostrate themselves and whine, even when escaping the abuse lay within their power. As with canines, so with congressmen." Despite their power to influence the direction of the war, Democrats are acting "like onlookers at the scene of a disaster, mysteriously paralyzed and unable to act."