As I understand it, our new Iraq strategy involves a delicate balancing act in which we persuade the insurgents that we’re not leaving until they’re defeated while persuading the government that we might leave before they’re defeated. As critics have suggested, this may not be possible to pull off. But if it is pulled off, won’t one of the reasons be that the president can point to a Democratic Congress when working on the government? It will be something if the existence of a “peace party” in America helps to bring about our success in the war. I do hope we’ll all get a chance to savor the irony–and the precedents.