Pelosi/Murtha vote

I've been listening to the pundits for the last ten days, and they're totally missing the significance of the Pelosi/Murtha vote. The pundits keep using the assumption that Pelosi can't count votes, or that she's a woman (!) to rationalize the "failure" of Pelosi's choice. That is highly unlikely; Pelosi is a professional, and certainly counted the votes. The message to the peace community was clear though. She nominated Murtha in order to throw a bone to the peace community, whose intense organizing put the Dems over the top. Without us (without any one of the populist organizing groups in fact) the Dems would still be on the outside looking in. But by nominating someone who wants the U.S. out of Iraq, but not working the floor to ensure it happened, she (she of the traditional Dems) can say to us, "I really tried! Stick with us!" Meanwhile deadly weapons continue to be manufactured, 75% of your federal taxes continue to go into military coffers, earmarks continue to be hung, and Washington can party on as before. Don't be taken in by it. We still have lots of work to do, and we've come this far, so we know we can do it. We can eat the elephant, and the donkey too.