Here's what I would expect Rep. Pelosi to say about Republican's role in the Democrats' failure to "end the war:"
“They still believe in this war. They want to continue fighting it. That was a revelation to me. I had thought they would listen to their constituents and change their position.”That makes sense, and shows empathy for people who honestly disagree with you. But here is what The Hill reports she actually said:
"They like this war,” she said. “They want this war to continue. That was a revelation to me. I had thought they would listen to their constituents and change their position.”
Pelosi later qualified her remark that Republicans “like” the war to say they like Bush’s strategy.
I might buy the qualification she issued, but what about the "They want this war to continue" phrase? No decent human being wants this war to continue... all of us who believe this war must be fought wish it would end tomorrow. Powerline puts it well:
Pelosi confesses here to a failure of imagination that does her no credit. She really can't understand that most Republicans, and many other Americans, believe it is important that we succeed, not fail, in Iraq. Not only that, she can't understand how politicians can be guided by anything other than polls and concern for their own careers.
The idea that Republicans "like" war is weird at best. No one "likes" war, and the Iraq war has been disastrous politically for the Republicans. Nevertheless, Pelosi is unable to imagine that Republicans are doing what they think is in the country's best interests.
This is reminiscent of Democrats' amazement when Bush was elected and started implementing the policies he said he would during his campaign, and I find it all deeply disturbing in a woman who is two steps from the Presidency.
