Gerald Seib is reporting in today's Wall Street Journal about the debate over Iraq shifting once again as troop withdrawals pause this summer.

To the extent the surge seemed to be reducing violence, and thereby creating a more stable Iraq from which the U.S. could extract troops, the McCain position was easier to defend. Now, sensing the shifting terrain, both Democratic presidential contenders, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, have begun reiterating their argument that the U.S. simply needs to start withdrawing from Iraq, promptly.
 
Yet it isn't clear that events have given one side or the other an obvious advantage. Mostly, they have clarified the split between the two. Put bluntly, Sens. Obama and Clinton argue that the U.S. needs a plan to get out of Iraq, while Sen. McCain argues the U.S. needs a plan to win in Iraq.
 
It's far from clear which of these positions is more politically palatable. The question really is whether Americans think it's more important to get out of Iraq or to succeed in Iraq.

If America were to prematurely withdrawal from Iraq, as House Speaker Pelosi and other liberals in Congress have proposed, it would most likely lead to sectarian violence and civil war.  The cost of victory in Iraq, an attainable result, is high, but the cost of defeat would be too heavy to bear. 

Today is April 15th - Tax Day - and as hundreds of millions of Americans rush to file their income tax returns with the federal government, we pause to examine the tax policies of liberals in Congress, who have repeatedly called for an end to at least some of the Bush tax cuts - those responsible for unprecedented economic growth for more than five years.  Enacting higher taxes and protectionist trade policies would only increase the strain on the already fragile American economy.  Sadly, liberals can accomplish both by simply doing nothing.  The Bush tax cuts are set to expire on their own and will need to be extended.  On trade, the Colombia free trade agreement will die unless Congress agrees to consider it.  There are many times that we wish Congress would do nothing (indeed, doing nothing in Congress is vastly underrated), however on these issues we hope Congress acts - and fast.