Democrats do not support the troops.
I know, I was surprised too. Let me catch you up on the events that lead to this shocking revelation.
Last Friday the House of Representatives, lead by the new Democratic majority, passed a non-binding resolution opposing President Bush’s decision to increase the number of troops serving in Iraq by a little over 20,000.
Although the resolution accomplishes basically nothing (that’s what the “non-binding” part means) and included a clause that attempted to differentiate between the House’s support for the troops and their opposition to the war, most Republicans were not fooled.
Rep. Roscoe B. Bartlett of Maryland told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that the resolution “will send the wrong message to our enemies and might send the wrong message to our troops.”
Wrong message indeed. We can’t have our enemies thinking that America is beginning to discuss or ““ dare I say it ““ debate our decisions before we act.
The terrorists might take this as a hint to use logic when anticipating our next move. If we begin consistently making reasonable decisions, we’ll be predictable.
And then the Islamo-fascists win.
The Democrats need to follow the Republicans’ lead on this one, I’m afraid. After all, they are the party who have had all the answers so far.
Before the war began, President Bush was spot-on when he said he knew that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Vice President Dick Cheney confidently assured us in May of 2005 that the Iraqi insurgency was in its “last throes.” As the old saying goes, if it’s broke, you ain’t gotta fix it.
More importantly, there is a deep concern that this resolution could hurt the troops’ morale ““ something Republicans have worked hard to protect.
In 2004, Army Spc. Thomas Wilson asked former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld why he and his fellow soldiers had to dig through trash to try and make armor.
Rumsfeld replied, “You can have all the armor in the world on a tank, and it can (still) be blown up.”
How comforting. After hearing this, of course, President Bush fired all of his bodyguards, since it was possible that without them he could be assassinated anyway. Then he morphed into a magical flying pig.
According to the Air Force Times, recent news reports and testimony before Congress have revealed that our troops still don’t have adequate supplies. And what did those darn Democrats in Congress do about it? They publicly petitioned President Bush to remedy the matter ““ trying to hurt morale by reminding our soldiers that they’re inadequately equipped.
When it comes to not supporting the troops, it seems that nobody does it better than the Democrats.
We also must keep in mind the soldiers who have returned from battle to a thankless House of Representatives. Many of them must be disgusted.
Especially those recovering from combat injuries at Walter Reed, the Army’s premier medical facility. Not because they feel offended by the resolution though. They’re probably just grossed out by the black mold, holes in the ceilings, mice and roach infestations, and lack of adequate care. Yes, this is the warm welcome many of the wounded soldiers receive after leaving Iraq and returning to the U.S.
Don’t worry, though; President Bush has it under control. His tentative budget will cut funding for veterans’ health care in just two years. That gives everyone plenty of time to recover, especially since, according to Cheney, the war ended two years ago.
When someone enters the armed forces, he gives up his rights to protest. He agrees not to question his orders ““ he promises to submit to any request or command. You might think, therefore, that Americans do have a right to question the commander in chief’s decisions about the causes our soldiers will defend and die for. In fact, you might feel as if you have a duty and an obligation to do so.
This would, of course, make you a traitorous Democrat. I suggest you fall back into lock-step.
E-mail Strickland at kstrickland@media.ucla.edu. If she survives after following the lemmings off the cliff, she’ll get back to you. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.