We now can add this commentary/blog post from ABC’s Jake Tapper. You may have heard reports about Senator John Warner’s recent remarks that Iraq was “drifting sideways” and may require a “change in course.” Around the same time, Senator Biden said that several Republican senators have come to him privately and said they would work with Democrats on a new plan, but only after the elections in November. Those of you that are cynical will look at that, like I did, and say, “Well, of course.”

Which only emphasizes how far we’ve fallen. Here’s Jake Tapper:

Assuming Biden’s tale is correct, it will be interesting to see which Republicans wait until after November 7 to break ranks with the White House on Iraq.

I wonder how a Senator who opposes the current Iraq war policy — but hasn’t stated so publicly — calculates how many lives it’s acceptable to have killed pursuing that policy before stating his opposition to it ….for the sole purpose of protecting his political party in an election.

How do you do the math on that?

Holding the Senate is worth, say, 500 dead? One thousand? How many US troops? How many wounded?

How do you justify it in your head?

“Well, my opposition won’t change much on the ground there in the short term, anyway”…?

“I oppose the policy, but I don’t want President Bush to get miffed at me for helping the Democrats sweep Connecticut”…?

God, sometimes it’s hard to work in this town and not grow deeply cynical.

I’m a bit ashamed that I didn’t complete the thought on Biden’s comments. Of course, the cynic in me believes that the Senators don’t actually wonder about the effects of their political maneuvering. In fact, I suspect many of them don’t actually think all that much about how their positions on the Iraq war actually are affecting the soldiers, Iraqis, or the nation at large. How else can you explain the complete lack of meaningful oversight? Unlike the rest of us, they actually are in a position to do something to change course.

P.S. I found this in a great Media Matters article, well worth reading on it’s own.