The House of Representatives has begun debating the Democrats’ Iraq War resolution that expresses disapproval of the president’s troop increase. Republican leadership has handed down an edict on how all good GOPers are to behave.
We know this because Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s (D-MD) office somehow got a letter from Reps. John Shadegg (R-AZ) and Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) to their Republican colleages entitled “Iraq Resolution Debate, Their Terms or Ours?” I’ve excerpted below. Via ThinkProgress:
“The debate should not be about the surge or its details. This debate should not even be about the Iraq war to date, mistakes that have been made, or whether we can, or cannot, win militarily. If we let Democrats force us into a debate on the surge or the current situation in Iraq, we lose.”
“Rather, the debate must be about the global threat of the radical Islamic movement.”
There’s more on this “global threat” — enough to make Muslims around the world think we’re fighting a war against them, even — and a jab at the “liberal mainstream media.” Read the full letter in pdf format here.
Update: Democratic talking points here.
