In some ways this is a version of what I have been saying: the Dems need to accomplish some things that Americans find tangible. And why I have been happy with how Dems started their tenure as a Congressional majority.

I think the admission of error regarding Iraq is a necessary step to addressing the very root problem: that we are involved in a war based on presidential lies. It was a collossal mistake and without an admission of that we can't start changing course. And changing course means addressing how a president could lie so blatantly and embroil us in such a stupid war.

However, addressing veteran's issue and combat pay and the like is in many ways a bread and butter issue that precedes and supercedes the question of the war itself. I advocated from the start that Democrats should force any funding of more war to require increased combat pay for active troops, restoration of veteran's benefits and oversight of where the money is spent and the outline of an actual clear exit strtategy. Those are things Americans would appreciate and Republicans seem to hate. We can oppose the McCain/Bush/Lieberman war while not only supporting our troops and veterans and fiscal responsibility and military responsibility, but actually supporting them far better than the Republicans are.