Symbolic Vote?

The NYT reports that democratic leaders are proposing a symbolic vote on President Bush’s plan to send more troops to Iraq. How courageous. This way the anti-war types can posture and pontificate without any repercussions for their inane positions, leaving others to do the heavy lifting both politically here at home and militarily in Iraq.
It would be refreshing to see a up or down vote, with teeth, for funding, troop levels etc.. Win or lose the electorate, to whom these elected poltroons are responsible, can reward or punish as they see fit.