The Next Step

We've gotten the symbolic opposition to the BushCo war machine out of the way:

In contrast with previous years when his pronouncements on Iraq were cheered by Congressmen, his passage on Iraq was listened to largely in silence. The divide was clearest when Dick Cheney, the vice-president and administration hawk, sitting behind the president, rose to applaud Mr Bush while Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House and war critic, remained seated. Elsewhere in the chamber, some Republicans also stood to applaud, but many Congressmen refused to rise.

Now it is time for Congress to use real political authority to end the war and bring the U.S. back into the company of civilized nations.