STAY THE COURSE, FINISH THE JOB
   
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2007-07-26

Last week Dick Durbin and Harry Reid held a slumber party in the hollowed halls of Congress. It was complete with sleeping bags, pizza and enough hot air to launch 1,000 balloons. As normal, the Senate confirmed why only 14 percent of Americans offer a favorable view of these 100 windbags. They accomplished nothing and spent your money in the process.

During the debate, however, one statement struck me with the force of a baseball bat to the chest. It was offered by the mad professor Carl Levin, Democrat from Michigan and co-sponsor of the Levin/Reed Amendment calling for the surrender of America to terrorists in Iraq. Sen. Levin claims there is "no military solution" to the war in Iraq. Really? The only solution now can be political, according to Levin. I suppose the senator is correct if he is referring to a military solution acceptable to a democrat.

A liberal democrat military solution would not allow the use of force necessary for any military action to succeed. It would not allow a soldier to do his job without senators managing his every move or the threat of a court martial or murder charges. It would, however, require the enemy to love us after its defeat: An enemy that would have been treated to special menus if captured, an enemy that would receive medical treatment and perhaps even constitutional rights, an enemy that could not be wiretapped, an enemy that was provided a Quran and special areas for prayer. That is how a liberal thinks military solutions work.

Anyone with half a brain knows a military solution will work if it is allowed. Securing the safety of the populace is the first step for political reconciliation amongst the warring factions in Iraq. If he were alive, Saddam would tell us that he had to use some very brutal tactics to keep Sunnis and Shiites from killing each other; not politics. And while I don't advocate his sadistic behavior, we must come to grips with the reality that Arab nations see politics quite a bit differently than we do in America. They don't hold pajama parties like the Democrats do.

As I watched the fiasco on Tuesday night by Harry Reid and company, I saw America at its worst. After hours of debate, Harry Reid voted against the amendment he held the slumber party for. He did so as a matter of procedure so he could bring it up again later. Think of the philosophical dishonesty of the democratic majority leaders. Politics! Plain and simple. It is enough to make average Americans sick to their stomach; myself included.

Democratic leadership doesn't want victory in Iraq. They don't want peace. They don't desire to do what is right for America. They want to win a huge majority of the Senate back in the '08 election and hopefully the Whitehouse as well. Harry Reid made it remarkably clear that Republicans are suffering damage over the war, and, as a result, the Democrats will win "21 Senate seats". I listened to Barbara Mikulski from Maryland arrogantly say it is time the Democrats in the Senate manage this war. Why? So they can manage a defeat and blame the president? Politics. Excuse me I believe I am going to be ill.

Make no mistake about what the world, including our enemies, witnessed last week from your democratically-controlled Senate. They staged theater of the worse kind. They went into session knowing full well the amendment would fail – an amendment that is attached to a military appropriations bill. They support the troops right? Yet they want to play politics while boots are on the ground in a foreign land. Harry Reid is playing dangerous games for political advantage that may get people killed. The stakes are way too high for clowns like Reid to put party ahead of country.

It is no wonder to me that Congress has a 14 percent approval rating. This same Senate gave Gen. Petraeus the funding, authority and additional troops to turn things around in Iraq. It committed to a time line of July 15 for an interim report and a full report by September. Now that same Senate wants withdrawal without honoring what it previously promised. It is time it honors the commitment. To keep changing every month for political purposes is insane. It is like a bunch of neurotic interior designers changing color schemes every five minutes.

Therefore, it is incumbent on all Americans to get involved in completing the job Congress refuses to complete. Just as in the immigration debate, Americans must get involved. When Amnesty was offered to 12 million illegal aliens America said no. When we decided in 2004 to re-elect a president who had made a decision to go to war, we voted to allow him to complete that war. He was given another four years to lead as the commander in chief of the greatest military in the world. He has been fought every inch of the way. In many cases by the same Senators who authorized him to take the actions he did.

The only voice that has remained consistent in the fight to secure Iraq has been the president's. No excuse me, two voices: The president and the troops. We need to stop the politicians from using their power for political gain. They both were sent by us to do a job. Now it is time we support our decisions and demand the same from the Congress.

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