Lott and Cochran Choose Inaction

From a Clarion Ledger editorial:

Mississippi's Republican U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott were good George Bush soldiers when they voted to torpedo legislation Wednesday to force the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq.

The Defense Authorization Bill vote allowed them to side with the president under cover of "supporting the troops," but they won't have that luxury in September, when it's either put up or shut up time for the administration.

Republicans closed ranks behind their embattled leader, despite dismal support by the American people showing public approval of the war continuing to plummet.
....
But if Democrats were speaking to deaf ears, Republicans are whistling in the dark. The latest USA Today/Gallup Poll shows seven in 10 Americans want nearly all U.S. troops removed from Iraq by April. And Bush is marching toward record low approval.

The USA Today poll shows only Richard Nixon, Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter at their worst had a lower rating.

This is the territory Lott and Cochran are entering by backing the president: Sixty-two percent say the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq, the first time that number has topped 60 percent.