Ted Poe

As even many House members have pointed out, there is a certain sham quality to the four-day Iraq War debate now underway in the people's House.

All 434 members (there is now a vacancy, with Tuesday's death of Republican Charlie Norwood of Georgia) were given speaking slots ahead of time. Most of them show up at their allotted time, and read prepared (and predictable) remarks for a few minutes to a chamber that is almost completely empty. There is almost no dialogue between the sides. Obviously, each member's comments are aimed at their constituents back home, who will probably see a 15-second snippet on their local news.  read more »

The debate will wrap up tomorrow, when the House will approve a two-paragraph resolution expressing support for the American troops in Iraq and opposition to President Bush's escalation to the war. The only suspense is over how many Republicans will break ranks and side with the Democratic-authored resolution -- the best guess now is between 30 and 40. (This is why John Boehner, the House GOP leader, has been complaining so loudly about the Democrats' refusal to allow consideration of GOP-backed alternatives: With only one option to cast a vote on Iraq, Republicans from competitive districts will have no choice but to side with the Democrats in the end.)