It's not partisanship to claim the war in Iraq is a needless war. It was, and is a war of choice. Authority was given to George W. Bush to launch his war based on his claims that Iraq posed "a clear and present danger to the United States". They didn't. He made explicit claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, "in 200 known sites". They didn't exist. He made explicit claims about Iraq developing nuclear weapons. It was bogus. Bush repeatedly attempted to persuade us that Iraq had involvement in the 9-11 attack on America. They didn't. He told us over and over he had the proof to support his claims. He didn't.

After starting his needless war, we learned that 100% of the claims made by George W. Bush were 100% false.

Then his incompetence kicked into high gear. It made him feel heroic to say, "See, I'm a war president." But as Commander in Chief he stacked blunders on top of blunders and unleashed a civil war. He put on his G.I. Joe costume to prance across the deck of an aircraft carrier, using the military again as props, to declare "Mission Accomplished". That was almost five years ago and it's still going on, and it's still a mess. Republicans rallied around "the war president" to rationalize, justify and excuse away mistake after mistake. They did that alright. They did that while Americans were being maimed, crippled and killed in this colossal mistake. With "support for the troops" like that, our military doesn't need any more enemies.

Amazingly, we're still debating whether we should continue Bush's mistake. It's hard to conceive of anything more absurd. Should we or should we not kill more Americans for a mistake, the biggest foreign policy blunder ever committed in our history? There are three candidates running for the office of president. Two of them say the answer is "NO", one of them not only says "YES", he wants to continue it for 100+ years. How many of us think it's a good idea to kill one of our children so that George W. Bush and the Republicans can save face?

That alone should resolve the debate, but there's more.

Our country is in a recession and we're still borrowing money from Red China so we can spend $12 billion a month on a mistake. The price tag for Bush's needless war is projected to exceed $3 trillion, yet Republicans want to continue throwing money we don't have, and can't afford, into this sorry mess for 100+ more years.

There's even more.

All of our national security agencies have arrived at the same conclusion. Bush's needless war in Iraq has made America less safe. So Republicans think continuing it for 100+ years is a good idea. All of our national security agencies have observed that Bush's needless war has been a catalyst causing the ranks of al-Quaida numbers to swell. Republicans want to continue helping them recruit for 100+ years. The leader of the terrorist organization that actually did attack us, is still cranking out frequent video tapes ranting about more attacks against us. Republicans want to continue the Bush policy of giving him a free pass. They want to do that for 100+ years.

We're not done yet.

All the military experts have said the same thing, that our troop commitments have stretched us to the breaking point and we're defenseless if another crisis surfaces. Republicans want to continue that for 100+ years. We're in perilous waters with the Bush and Republican strategy. This week USA Today published the story about the Pentagon records showing that the Army has increased the use of involuntary extensions to maintain troop levels despite the fact that Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last year that they should be kept to a minimum. The number of soldiers affected has increased 43 percent since May, to a total of 12,235 in March. That means that our troops after serving our country, following orders, completing tour after tour in Iraq, and completing their enlistment contract simply aren't allowed to leave. They're held captive under the Bush administration. Republicans want to continue that for 100+ years.

There's still more.

The Associated Press published a story this week that revealed that, under pressure to increase their numbers, the Army and Marine Corps have sharply raised the number of recruits with felony convictions they are admitting to the services. Data released by a congressional committee shows that the number of soldiers admitted to the Army with felony records jumped from 249 in 2006 to 511 in 2007. And the number of Marines with felonies rose from 208 to 350. The bulk of the crimes involved were burglaries, other thefts, and drug offenses, but nine involved sex crimes and six involved manslaughter or vehicular homicide convictions. Several dozen Army and Marine recruits had aggravated assault or robbery convictions, including incidents involving weapons. There isn't a single military commander on the planet that would willingly chose to go into a combat situation with a unit comprised of felons. It's only what you do when you have no other options. Republicans want to continue that for 100+ years.

Towards the end of the Vietnam war someone asked the rhetorical question, "How do you ask an American to be the last soldier to die for a mistake?" That question is as valid today as was the last time we sacrificed our morals, integrity and lives of young Americans.

America, the United States, itself is a mistake.

I am guessing you're not an American. To each his own...I hope you love your country and stand behind it the way I do mine....I am very proud to be a US citizen. My Grandparents fled here and left and awful world behind...I LOVE AMERICA!!! Even with it's issues, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!!

looks like a copy an paste. this real OLD hat.

Nope... it's not partisan. It's ill-informed drivel of the misguided mind.

Iraq was an overt proponent of international terrorism; with a long history of using Islamic Terrorist organizations as proxies to attack their enemies; in dozens of attacks, resulting in the known deaths of 200 US citizens and thousands of citizens of US allies... Iraq used the means of a sovereign state to advance Islamic terrorism for three decades; Post 9-11, Iraq, under the leadership of Hussein and the Baath Socialist Party, had become an unstable player in the most unstable region in the world... which also happened to be the region from which the same Islamic International Terrorism which Iraq had so long fostered had originated; with Iraq unapologetically maintaining its support for international terrorism and defiantly rejecting its responsibilities under the Gulf War cease fire agreement... the only reasonable play was to destroy the Hussien/ Socialist government's means to govern and free it's people from Islamic-Socialist tyranny; to have done any less would have been irresponsible at best and at worst: Treason.

Iraq is a valid and just campaign within a greater valid and just war... To claim it is a needless effort is the insipid position advanced by the foaming ignorant.

This is just more anti-American screed being advanced by the same pro-terrorist left-feelers...

They're not with us friends... and it's just no more complicated than that... There isn't a single valid point in this entire screed and its purpose is singular; it hopes to undermine the US position so as to give Iraq, thus the whole of the Middle East, back to the Radical leftist Islamic extremists...



Any questions?