DNC's Security Plan

If one would take the time to peruse the DNC's website -- you could arguably claim that their chief virtue is that President George W. Bush is not a member. If you read one DNC press release criticizing the President, well, you have pretty much read them all. However, if you're a political party, you should stand for something as opposed to being reflexively against something.

So it was interesting to note that Democratic Senate luminaries (minus Joe Biden -- see below) at a press briefing yesterday (were we saw it -- at of all places -- Fox News) present their plan for national security. Alas, it's pretty thin gruel. To wit:

• Incorporates the 9/11 Commission's recommendations to strengthen security, which have not been enacted. I'm not sure as to the specifics of the plan but perhaps we should focus our efforts on getting the Department for Homeland Security straight before we delve into other recommendations.
• Calls for phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq by year's end. One need not be Clausewitz to understand that this is a bad idea (despite the euphamistic use of "phased redeployment" rather than "withdrawal.") The effect of such a plan would provide the insurgents to sit and wait until US forces have left. The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) are making headway -- perhaps slower than what is liked -- but to put an artificial deadline as to when they are to be a stand-alone force -- is simply irresponsible.
• Would set up a commission to investigate waste and fraud in U.S. contracts in Iraq. No argument as to the merit of having a commission. But why limit it to just US contracts in Iraq -- why not have all governmental spending investigating come under a micro-scope? That would free additional millions for the war effort! Really, the only purposes of a commission would be to slow the process of providing aid to Iraq to re-develop its infrastructure and its military forces.
• Calls for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to resign. That's not a serious proposal but a play to win the hearts and minds of the left-wing.

Senator Joe Biden, testing the political waters for a presidential campaign run in 2008 -- has proposed his plan for enhanced security. His recommendations include --

• Working to prevent potential threats to the country's security rather than relying on a strategy of "military pre-emption." For instance, the effort to buy off the regime in Pyongyang in 1994 was thought to be a success. However, all it did was to embolden them to nullify the treaty and continue their development of nuclear weaponry. The agreement -- an effort in prevention -- simply delayed the day of reckoning. One does not prevent threats, one eliminates threats.
• Building effective alliances with like-minded countries and with international organizations to pool resources, information, ideas and power. I'm not sure what this means -- the US is a member of the UN, NATO, and a host of other organizations with their own bureaucracies to support. Why add another organization to the mix?
• Developing "institutions of democracy" - political parties as well as an independent media and judicial system - in the Middle East and beyond. Joe, have you ever heard of the National Endowment for Democracy? It's been around for two decades -- do we need to reinvent the wheel?
• Implementing the unheeded 9/11 Commission recommendations. To Senator Biden, this means adding 1,000 more FBI agents and 50,000 more police officers. More is probably better than less, but unless their is a task and purpose for these positions, more would not necessarily better. It briefs well but that's all.

Feeling safer?