Battle on the home front

Battle on the home front, or how not to pick a fight.

It fascinates me to see what is going on in the media today; reminiscent of a war long ago, but with a new twist. Many Democrats are calling on Bush to present a plan to end the war and provide an estimate of when U.S. forces can start to be withdrawn based on conditions on the ground. Not a bad suggestion, but untimely. Let’s face the facts. We are there, pure and simple. How we got there, why we got there and if we need to be there is not the question. Old news. As far as pulling out right now, without an effective standing army to protect itself, Iraq would be cannon fodder to all those waiting in the dunes the moment the last chopper lifted off. Vietnam Redux.

While the brother’s and sister’s of this old warhorse are in harm’s way dodging a bullet or two and worried about IED’s while protecting Iraq in Humvees that need to be armor plated enough to withstand an attack, their congressmen are standing in line attempting to outdo one another in name-calling. Yesterday tempers flared over the withdrawal demand by Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. John Murtha. Which lead to One Republican calling Murtha a coward. I confess, I am not a Democrat, but I was hoping Murtha would throw down and pound the potatoes out of him for that comment.

I was not in the corps, I was a Hooah guy, but in my opinion the corps is comprised with the bravest men and women I have ever had the honor of knowing. As well as a few major hangovers I have yet to get over from drinking with. Although I do not agree with the comments made by Murtha, calling him a coward is low. With that in mind I checked Murtha’s war record, which proudly shows that John Murtha spent 37 years in the Marine Corps, earned the Bronze Star, two purple hearts, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Coward? Go ahead John show him what the corps taught you to do in close quarters combat.

Another one that blew my mind recently was when the White House made threats to veto the Senate's anti-torture measure. They took on the anti-torture measures’ biggest supporter, Arizona Republican Senator John McCain. Real Smart! In case anyone in the free world is still not aware of this, in 1967 McCain was shot down over Vietnam, and was held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi for five-and-a-half years, mostly in the infamous Hanoi Hilton where he was tortured constantly. This is not a man to go toe-to-toe over a measure on anti-torture with. By the way, just to show you what McCain is made of, beyond withstanding torture, When the North Vietnamese discovered he was the son and grandson of admirals, he was offered a chance to go home, but he refused to break the military code that POWs be released in the order that they are captured. Hero? You’re damn right! The White House needs to pick their fights better.

I can’t wait to see what happens next week. Reality TV? This beats them all hands down.