The Skyliner

Issue date: 3/21/07 Section: Opinion

Cody Fields
Sports Editor


Senate Democrats pushed a bill into the debate stage that would have withdrawn combat troops from Iraq by March 31, 2008. Majority Leader Harry Reid was the "brains" behind the bill, and foxnews.com said the bill states "U.S. forces could stay beyond that date only to protect U.S. personnel, train and equip Iraqi forces and carry out counterterrorism operations." While the bill made it through the House, it was barely shut down by a 50-48 vote in the Senate. The important part here is the principle of what the Dems attempted.

The power-hungry lefties think that because they have the majority in Congress they can take liberties reserved in the Constitution for the president, not to mention incessantly contradict themselves.

Democrats have been critical of this war and have tried to return to their glory days in the 70s when the media, along with hippies, peaceniks, and the left in general turned the Vietnam conflict on its head, when we were trying to liberate a people from the most sinister system of power the world has ever seen. We are doing the same thing now; only it happens to be the most sinister religious system the world has ever seen, an even more frightening notion. Nevertheless, the left seems to desire American failure so they can say, "We told you so." In the same report on foxnews.com, Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., said, "It's far past time we brought our involvement in this misguided war to a close."

However, upon even a skimming of Feingold's quote, Reid's intentions and the actual content of the bill, one will find that essentially nothing would change at all. U.S. forces are there for the purposes previously listed, and no other. Just a week and a half ago, the military captured the top Al Qaeda official in Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, and terrorists are being captured and/or eliminated every day. Our personnel are also training the Iraqi military and police forces, but it is unwise for a bunch of suits across the world to decide when they will be ready to fend for themselves.

I also find it repulsive that these legislators are ignoring the very Constitution they swore to defend. Yes, the section of the Constitution regarding the powers of Congress does state they can "… declare War… and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water," as well as "raise and support Armies," but they don't seem to realize that the power to command the military is not in their hands.

Prematurely pulling out of Iraq would not only leave the Iraqis vulnerable, but would alleviate the pressure we are currently putting on terrorists, thus leaving America open to attack. In order to prevent leaving our country free to attacks again and the undermining of the document that runs our government, contact your U.S. Representative and Senator and let them know that the subversion of military authority will never be tolerated in America.

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