Mom, Dad: I understand you better now. I just hope that I don’t have to experience a Cambodia style aftermath in the Middle East, even as that hope is small. Raw Story:

But another sizable group of House Democrats is set to propose a different course today. The Democrats’ Blue Dog Coalition — comprised of more conservative Democrats — will hold a press conference on the war at 11:30 am. Their proposal appears likely to include important differences from Murtha’s legislation.

Currently including 44 members, the group describes itself as primarily “dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States.”

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But one aide was able to say that “the Blue Dogs are not calling for troop withdrawal tomorrow, and they’re not cutting off funding, but they do want accountability and responsibility.”

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The Republican Party appeared ready to capitalize on the possible divisions that the Iraq war could create for Democrats in the House.

President Bush has feted the Blue Dog Coalition as an independent grouping within the House of Representatives that could shape Congress’s response on Iraq. He invited Blue Dog members to the White House on January 10th just before his formal announcement in a national address of the troop escalation. There, they meet with Dr. J.D. Crouch, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor, and General Kevin Bergner, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Iraq, who have been credited with authoring Bush’s new plan.

I can’t find a link or story to the press conference just now, I’ll keep looking. But tell me this isn’t more of the same. Because it really seems that way to me.

I’m not going to bloviate on this except to say: hearings are great, but the troops need to come home. There’s plenty of time in the next two years to assign blame and send Bush’s cronies to jail. But words like “accountability” mean little to the men and women in field who are being recycled on a third or fourth tour of duty, and words certainly don’t provide protection against bombs and bullets. Bringing the troops home must be the centerpiece of any “plan” for Iraq.