Playing Politics With War

I'm seeing a lot of political posturing in regards to policy and strategy in Iraq.  It's all of the political sort rather than strategic national security discussion.  This is war we're talking about, people's lives on the line.  Let's stop the politics of Iraq and devote ourselves completely to finding a solution.

Here's what I'm observing:  Democrats who campaigned against this war, lawmakers who asked the voters to send them to Washington to force a change in policy and direction, are seeing a political opportunity and exploiting it instead of doing what's right.

I'm seeing politicians hungrily eying 2008, the White House and larger majorities in Congress, deciding it's better to exploit the war for political reasons by having it continue rather than having the courage to stand up and do what the people sent them there to do:  end our occupation of Iraq.

It's tempting to hang this war around the necks of the likes of John McCain and other Republicans running in '08 but lives are being lost every day.  McCain's stance on the war is well known and well documented as are all the others.  The votes were cast, the rhetoric is on the record.  There's absolutely no sane reason to abandon our troops and support personnel for 2008 political gain.  That's what I see happening with our Party Leadership in Washington.

I see no serious effort being made to curtail funding for this war.  The people voted clearly for Congress to force a change in direction last November.  If Democrats abandon that mandate how do they expect the populace to believe them in 2008 when they promise a new direction?  The time for a new direction is now.  Do what is right, what is proper, and what the people are demanding and the mandate will expand in '08 and enable us to accomplish more for the years ahead.

War isn't something with which you play politics.  People are dying.  People are having arms and legs blown off and Iraqis are being tortured every day.  Worrying that right wing extremists will play politics with the issue by accusing you of not supporting the troops is playing into their game. This is bad political strategy and is bad policy.  The people want to support the soldiers by bringing them home and saving lives.  The radical, extremist hate talk on Republican television and radio isn't going to change their minds.  If we're so incompetent and so ineffective as not to be able to counter this demagoguery we don't deserve to be a majority party.  70% of Americans want an end to this debacle, how many more are needed before the Nancy Pelosis see this as a trend?

Stop playing politics with war.  Now.

Comments

[VMM]

Bravo, John Morgan. Bravo.