Senator Russ Feingold, Democrat from Wisconsin, gives a living example of magnanimity. Here is his most recent statement on getting the U.S. out of Iraq.

A consistent and heroic voice in the Senate for common sense and probity, Feingold was the first senator to propose a date for redeploying out of Iraq. He alsocosponsored an amendment to the ongoing DoD authorization to require redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007.

As he says in an article posted at http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/11/16/a_way_out_of_iraq.php, "our current Iraq policy is making the United States weaker, not stronger. The president has continually refused to change our current approach in Iraq, despite a growing number of policymakers and experts, including many Republicans, advocating for a change of course. Voters responded to his failed policies by putting Democrats in control of Congress. They want to change course, and they have given Democrats the chance to finally put our national security policy right by proposing a timetable for redeploying U.S. troops from Iraq."

"The president’s policy has us in Iraq with no end in sight. But the Iraqis need an end in sight to get their political house in order, and we need an end in sight so we can get back to fighting terrorist networks. Our disproportionate focus on Iraq has undermined our ability to confront the terrorist threat around the globe. Now Democrats can start to turn these wrong-headed policies around. But we won’t do that by continuing our open-ended commitment of troops on Iraq. And we won’t do it with tepid or muddled policies of our own. We will do it by setting a target date for redeployment, so that we can direct our resources to defeating the terrorist organizations that seek to harm this country."

It is regrettable that making this kind of sane and self-evident statement is almost tantamount to political heroism under the current administration. But given the regrettable circumstances, it is good that we have some members in both houses of Congress measuring up.