The NYPost hammers Defeatist Harry:

From the start, Reid and the Democrats have seen the war in Iraq as a partisan opportunity.

They refuse to present a unified front to the rest of the world – especially to America’s enemies – because, in their pinched view, to do so would be to weaken their own prospects for retaking the White House in 2008.

No, Reid didn’t repeat his declaration of defeat during yesterday’s speech from the Senate floor.

It probably has dawned on him just how big a political blunder he committed – witness Sen. Chuck Schumer’s gentle contradiction of the majority leader over the weekend, insisting that “the war is not lost.”

Then again, Reid didn’t have to repeat his original remarks – because the imposed timetable he announced, if enacted, would bring about precisely the same result.

That is, a precipitous U.S. withdrawal from the region – if Reid thinks the bug-out would stop at Iraq, he’s dumber than he sounds – followed by:

* A rapid, al Qaeda/Iranian-driven descent into regional chaos.
* Most likely, a general war.
* And, almost certainly, a Mideast nuclear-arms race as Saudi Arabia, Eygpt and (probably) Turkey rush to arm themselves in anticipation of an Iranian bomb.

At the very least, Reid has to understand that his rhetoric can only encourage short-run insurgent attacks on Americans in Iraq.

Their blood stands to be on his hands.

Related video: Reid vows not to believe Petraeus if he reports progress in Iraq