Just like the military surge in Iraq, the Democrats’ political surge against the war is falling short.

This week, Democrats in Congress found that it’s hard to argue with a man as obviously brave, patriotic and dedicated as General Petraeus.

It’s a lot easier to argue with the cowardly bumbler who sent Petraeus to Iraq to fight an unwinnable war and then to Capitol Hill to defend an indefensible policy.

That would be George Bush.

Bush probably has enough votes in Congress to keep America bogged down in Iraq for months to come – maybe for the 16 months until January 2009.

So what do the Democrats in Congress do? They’re under pressure from the netroots. And Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are under pressure from John Edwards, who helpfully suggested that Congress “use every tool” to force a troop withdrawal.

Here’s an idea. Why don’t Congressional Democrats propose a resolution that would make Bush, Republicans and everybody else put up or shut up?

Hope is not a strategy. And doing the same thing with no real hope of progress is insanity. So, instead, propose doing something different: winning the war. Or getting out.

Specifically, put forward legislation that:

• Declares war on Al Qaeda.

• Reinstates the draft and finances a million-man (and woman) Army.

• Commits America to subduing the insurgency and wiping out the insurgents, whatever and however long it takes.

If the resolution fails – as it would – then declare that the only alternative is to leave. Today. Leave the Iraqis to their own devices. Leave the tribes to their eternal tribal warfare. Leave the Arab world to the Arabs.

If it’s anything like Southeast Asia, we’ll be able to go back in about 10 years and help pick up the pieces. By then, we’ll have had time to fix the mess George Bush is leaving us.

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