Wait a minute Mike.

Our mission in Iraq was very clear. Save the world from terrorism and defeat Sadist Insane. When that was accomplished then we were all set to return our boys and girls home when someone discovered a little problem.

What do you do with a nation that you just destroyed? No political, military or economic systems were left. How about making it a democracy? Yes! What a great idea!

Imagine our military having a mission to bring democracy to another nation. I think that the mission of the military does not include such actions or at least it should not.

Tom


>>Hi Dave!
>>
>>I wish I had seen this post earlier.
>>
>>>>Unfortunately, as Chuck Hagel as said on the Senate floor, ""stay the course" is a focus group buzzword. And in this case it's working extremely well.
>>>
>>>What's "working extremely well" for the GOP is the spectacle of Democrats falling all over themselves to find the most politically balanced way of saying, "We can't win so bring the troops home now regardless of the outcome." Yet, there they are, straining to loudly proclaim failure in the midst of several weeks of astounding success by the troops in cutting off the heads of the insurgency's leadership structure and following Zark's thumbdrive contents to roll up much of the underling structure as well.
>>
>>Precisely. I'm no GOP fan as a devout libertarian but it sickens me to watch the Dems trot out talking points and press releases that undercut the nation for, I suppose, purely political purposes. And I don't think I'm alone in that viewpoint.
>>
>
>Thank goodness the Republicans would never do that! (Ouch, my tongue is hurting my cheek). You don't find the timing of all this coordinated "cut and run" hoo-ha a bit convenient to their purposes, with the GOP down in the polls and elections just a few months away? It's fine to criticize the Democrats for politicizing the issue, which they have been, but let's not pretend they're the only ones.
>
>>>Let's not forget the complete absurdity to most Americans of hearing one Democrat after another this week saying "This is not cut and run" when everyone knows full well that it is exactly that.
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>>Anything related to the withdrawal of troops without a clear mission, by definition, is cut and run.
>>
>
>We have never had a clear mission in Iraq. Which is kind of the point of those who want to end this farce. I am not necessarily in that group because I recognize that we might embolden others, like Iran and North Korea, by showing signs of weakness. OTOH this has been the dumbest, most disastrous foreign policy adventure in our history. Do we just keep on doing the same thing and do we hope to achieve anything by it other than the needless sacrifice of more lives? Please don't say we are bringing peace and democracy to Iraq, because that is a pipe dream. The effect of the American invasion has been more the opposite.
>
>>>Anyone with any sense can see that there is a constitutionally elected government operating in Iraq despite the Democrats' attempts to say that the whole thing is a failure and that civil war is inevitable. Most Americans can see it for what it is and not for how the liberals want to paint it.
>>>
>>>A party whose only hope of winning depends on America losing is in deep trouble in November, regardless of how much the extreme left wants to wish it away.
>>
>>Honestly, this is hard to call. I predicted the results of the 2002 midterms perfectly. I was only 1 electoral vote off of a perfect prediction of the 2004 election (as Garrett can attest to). IMHO people don't vote for their representatives on national issues as much as they do on local issues and charisma. A likable Dem will kill a nasty GOPer in most cases regardless of national issues and vice-versa. Smart Democratic contenders in the upcoming elections will sell themselves as outside the Beltway and beholden to their constituents and then...all bets are off. Those candidates who don't marry themselves to national partisan idiots like Pelosi and Reid will do well...as will GOP candidates who don't sound like Frist and Bush wannabees.
>
>Hence the interest in people like John McCain and Mark Warner. I think a lot of us would elect a principled candidate in a heartbeat, regardless of party. I know I would vote for McCain and I don't think I've ever voted for a Republican in my life. My worst political nightmare is Frist vs. Hillary in '08 (shudder).