Democratic Senate leaders bent over backwards to get a nonbinding Iraq resoltuion that could attract bipartisan support, so they could easily say there was wide disapproval for the "surge" strategy.

Understandable approach, considering that so many Republicans appear to want to distance themselves from Bush.

But Republicans of all stripes have not been interested in crafting principled bipartisan compromise and sending a clear message to the White House.

They've been interested in stoking confusion with multiple resolutions and throwing up parliamentary roadblocks.

As the old saying goes: when you wrestle a pig, you get dirty and the pig likes it.

Today's GOP filibuster should send a message to Dems: it's not worth it.

The proper strategy is make clear what the Democratic strategy is and rally public support for it.

If Republicans join, great. That's principled bipartisanship.

But if Republicans block it, or Bush vetoes it, the GOP will then pay the price.

That will either get Republicans on board, out of political necessity. Or it will lead to a bigger political victory in 2008.

Either way, you'll get substantive change faster than the current path we're on -- where everyone in the Senate, in both parties, just looks like small, irrelevant squabblers.

Which is what Republicans want.