This opinion piece argues that Congress has prioritized partisan opposition over offering alternative solutions on national security issues such as wars in Iraq, Libya, and Syria. The author claims that Democrats have undermined US efforts to win these wars by focusing on criticizing their Republican counterparts rather than debating how best to achieve victory. Specifically, the article points out that Nancy Pelosi and John Kerry undermined President George W. Bush's policies on Iran and Syria, and that Barack Obama's decision to withdraw from Iraq led to the rise of ISIS.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-24,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
During World War II, when America was confronting fascist regimes hell-bent on exporting their murderous ideologies, Republicans united behind Democrats to form a joint front.
asserted
Republicans → confront → front
They did so even though many Republicans — especially from the nativist wing — were upset with President Franklin Roosevelt’s sanctions on Japan, which the small “Blame America First” crowd subsequently used to explain away Japanese aggression.
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crowd → do → aggression
In recent decades, however, Congress has prioritized short-term political warfare over national security and America’s place in the world.
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Congress → prioritize → world
Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and then-Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) both sought to undermine President George W. Bush’s isolation of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
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Pelosi → seek → Assad
At the time, Assad was covertly working on nuclear weapons.
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Assad → work → weapons
Within just a few years, he would openly use chemical weapons against his own people.
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he → use → people
For Pelosi and Kerry, though, embarrassing Bush was the priority.
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embarrassing → embarrass → Bush
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The same held true for the 2003 Iraq War.
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same → hold → War
When the war erupted, it had bipartisan support.
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it → erupt → support
As insurgency raged, Democrats sniffed an opportunity to flip the script.
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Democrats → rag → script
Kerry famously explained he was for the war before he was against it, as if that made him presidential.
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him → explain → it
Pelosi, meanwhile, demanded withdrawal and criticized Bush’s pursuit, without discussion of the consequences of U.S. loss.
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Pelosi → demand → loss
In 2008, I raised hackles by suggesting Pelosi preferred a Rwanda-like genocide in Iraq to American success for the simple reason that the former would besmirch Bush.
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former → raise → Bush
The righteous indignation, however, missed the point.
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indignation → miss → point
American leaders had a choice: help Iraqis defeat insurgents like the Islamic State group or subject those Iraqis to a horrific massacre.
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Iraqis → have → massacre
Bush ignored Pelosi’s posturing with his surge and Anbar Awakening strategies, but President Barack Obama chose the opposite course.
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Obama → ignore → course
Obama’s decision lay the ground for the Islamic State group’s rise and the Yazidi genocide.
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decision → lie → rise
Too many Republicans preferred to criticize Obama’s bombing of Libya and the war in Syria.
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Republicans → prefer → Syria
There was much to criticize, but the United States and the world would be better off if the goal of Congress was to debate how best to win.
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goal → be → Congress
The politics motivating these antics isn’t well grounded.
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politics → motivate → antics
President George H.W. Bush enjoyed approval ratings above 90% after Kuwait’s liberation in the Gulf War, but still lost the election.
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Bush → enjoy → election
Ultimately, Americans vote on the economy, not on Kuwait, Gaza, or Taiwan.
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Americans → vote → Kuwait
Democrats can condemn both the timing and pursuit of the war.
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Democrats → condemn → war
Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have contributed to numerous own goals; they deserve opprobrium.
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they → contribute → opprobrium
But if Trump and by extension the U.S. fail, the results will be far greater than soiling Trump’s reputation: An empowered Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz and, by proxy, the Bab el-Mandeb can blackmail the world.
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Mandeb → fail → world
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may appear resurgent, but to cease engagement at a time when the Iranian military sends missiles and drones across the region will have ramifications far after Trump.
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military → appear → Trump
Political warfare has consequences, but the degree of Trump derangement syndrome now contributes to a national security crisis.
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degree → have → crisis
It is one thing to castigate Trump.
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It → castigate → Trump
But every congressional critic should also enunciate how they would roll back Iranian aggression that began not in January 2025 but was pursued for decades.
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that → enunciate → decades
Americans famously navel-gaze, but they cannot ignore that Iranians have agency.
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Iranians → gaze → agency
Simply standing down or surrendering will not return the world to the status quo prior to the war nor end the conflict.
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standing → stand → conflict
Perhaps rather than compete over sleights and insults that Trump relishes, both Democratic and Republican hopefuls could demonstrate leadership by charting a path to victory that relies on reality and not rhetoric and wishful thinking.
uncertain
that → compete → reality
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