My position is right…

…but it's not necessarily the best answer.

I'm in the Murtha/Pelosi camp on Iraq. Or perhaps they're in my camp, since I staked my pup tent on the withdrawal side of the line before they got there. The fact is, though, that while I find the arguments for other positions unpersuasive, they do exist, and reasonable opinions on the right course in Iraq can, and do, differ.

Of course, there are positons that are not only unpersuasive but irresponsible. Joe Lieberman, for instance, is not a part of the intra-party Democratic debate on Iraq. He's removed himself to the other side on this one.

Other Democrats do differ honestly, for a variety of reasons. Jim VandeHei and Shalaigh Murray used up a lot of Washington Post ink trying to make this a major source of intra-party strife, but that's a story we shouldn't buy into, regardless of where we are on the issue of withdrawal.

For instance, one of the voices cited in the WaPo piece is Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Demcratic Congressional Campaign Committee. For him, consideration of the 'right' position has to include the political realities of hundreds of candidates, who represent a wide range of views themselves. Given that, I'd say this statement signifies a strong commitment to the Party's interests, not a harbinger of division.

"What I want Democrats to be discussing is what the president's policies have led to," Emanuel said. He added that once discussion turns to a formal timeline for troop withdrawals, "the how and when gets buried" and many voters take away only an impression that Democrats favor retreat."

Rahm's busy with what has to be job one, because the reality is that absent control of at least one legislative body, Democratic influence on policy is negligible, regardless of who wins the intra-party debate. It may well be that the people are ahead of the politicians on withdrawal, but not all the people, not everywhere, and Rahm's looking, as he should be, for a position that will serve all of our challengers.

For now, maybe Rep. Chet Edwards of Texas, who is, in my view, wrong on the policy question, has the best answer for the political one.

"The national press is playing up the fact that Democrats do not speak with one voice on Iraq. We should wear it as a badge of honor because it shows we are not playing a political line with war and peace."

Eyes on the prize.