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The House of Representatives’ debate on a non-binding resolution about the war in Iraq got plenty of play on the evening newscasts last night, as well as in newspapers and on news Web sites this morning. The Republican-drafted resolution declares “that the United States must complete ‘the mission to create a sovereign, free, secure and united Iraq’ without setting ‘an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment’ of U.S. troops,” as The Washington Post reports today. Further down in the story, we learn that “the votes will not bind the administration …” to action.

CBSNews.com’s story on the resolution indicates as much in the headline: “House Passes Symbolic Iraq Resolution.” Last night on the “Evening News,” Congressional correspondent Sharyl Attkisson : “Think of it not so much as a real debate with a real chance of changing anything in the war on Iraq. It's more of a political dare -- a nonbinding resolution that Republicans are putting to a vote, calling for the U.S. to stand firm in Iraq and the war on terror, and who in their right mind would vote against that?”

So if it’s likely not going to change anything, why is it getting so much attention? The reasons are mostly related to the story’s political relevance, according to Attkisson. She wrote in an e-mail:

“It's getting attention because the war in Iraq and the war on terror are foremost on the minds of so many Americans. That's why Congress wants to debate it: to let constituents back home in this election year see that they are talking about the big issues and controversies.

The resolution that was proposed isn't the one Democrats would have chosen to debate; it's the Republicans' choice. Many Democrats would rather be voting on a timeline for troop withdrawal. Many Republicans, on the other hand, felt it was important to send a symbolic message of support for the war in Iraq and the war on terror.”

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