McCain Blogger Call - Addressing Iraq

Senator McCain conducted a blogger call this morning, which he addressed among other things the situation in Iraq. He discussed visiting the region over Thanksgiving, meeting with General Petraeus, and Lieutenant General Odierno, as well as the troops. He relayed signs of success evident in Anbar province, as well as improvements in Baghdad. He noted that while there is political progress on the ground, and there is some oil sharing occurring, that the political process is slow and difficult. Also, he noted that there is still potential for violence to flair up as Al Qaeda is desperate and on the run.

The other fact he conveyed is that Democrats are still trying to force a withdrawal by withholding funding regarless of the facts on the ground. This seems incredibly irresponsible. I understand the anger that Democrats have with the Bush administration, and I don't blame them for being skeptical about the surge at the begininning of the year, but I don't understand being defeatist in the face of success. This is why people don't trust Washington. Playing politics with taxes, health care, or spending is unfortunate, but playing politics when people's lives, likely thousands of people's lives, hang in the balance is disgusting. Maybe it's ego that keeps the Democrats from admitting that Senator McCain and the Republicans had it right when they pushed for this strategy change, but claiming that the Congress knows best what the troop levels should be in Iraq has already been proven wrong. It stikes me that this is the type of topic that one reads about in the history books. The choices made about Iraq will effect lives in America and around the world for decades if not centuries to come. This is the worst type of issue to play politics with. This isn't about red and blue this is about war and peace. It's time for people to use their brains, to learn their history, and to make wise choices and put politics aside.

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Click to View Clips of the Republican YouTube Debate.