Via email:
An Investor’s Business Daily editorial says the reckless and demoralizing claim by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that America has “lost” the Global War on Terror makes “the Democratic Party he leads synonymous with surrender”:
“Over the past six weeks, as the Baghdad security plan has been implemented, attacks on civilians in the city have been cut roughly in half. Civilian casualties are down almost a quarter nationwide, with attacks on civilians off 17%. Only in north-central Iraq did violence grow. …
“Al-Mada, considered the most professional of Iraq ’s newspapers, last week said ‘we have to be happy about’ the new U.S. security plan in Baghdad because ‘It is not easy anymore to place bombs in cafes, markets, near the universities and even in the hospitals.’
“The paper pointed out that ‘scores of al-Qaida chiefs have been arrested,’ fleeing families have returned and mosques reopened. ‘And,’ the newspaper added, ‘it especially made the (Iraqi) politicians understand that they should not expect a failure of the present government to boost their own careers.’ …
“[Reid’s] ‘leadership’ has been to try to cut off our forces’ war funding. Now he has told the Islamofascists that victory is theirs if they can just keep blowing up U.S. soldiers and Iraqi citizens a little while longer.”
As noted by House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) in a weekend op-ed for TownHall.com, Reid’s comments come even as top Democrats have avoided briefings with General David Petraeus, U.S. commander of the Multinational Force in Iraq :
“Earlier this year, top Democrats in both houses of Congress refused to attend a bipartisan briefing offered by General David Petraeus to discuss the challenges in Iraq . ...
“That’s why General Petraeus’ visit to Capitol Hill is so timely – and so important. Members of Congress not only need to hear about the need for a clean troop funding bill, they need to hear from America ’s top commander in Iraq about the realities on the ground. Petraeus has said we will make progress even if there are setbacks along the way, and that is exactly what is happening.”
In light of Reid’s remarks, Boehner challenged Democrats “to not only attend this briefing by General Petraeus, but to come with an open mind”:
“The questions for each member of Congress to consider after Senator Reid’s recent comments are real and they go to the heart at the battle against our enemies:
“Do we support our troops? Or do we starve them of resources?
“Do we put politics aside during a time of war? Or do we “bleed” America ’s military forces in an attempt to derive partisan benefit?
“Do we fight to win? Or do we preemptively declare defeat?
“The most important question, however, is this: will Members of Congress listen to General Petraeus … or to Democratic leaders who believe they know best?”
If Democrats agree with Reid that the war is “lost,” they should withdraw their pork & retreat bill and bring a clean troop funding bill to the floor immediately. Rather than support a bill that leaves our troops in harm’s way for a cause Democrats’ believe cannot be won – a bill the President has already said he will veto – Democratic leaders should be willing to vote, up-or-down, on whether to continue funding the Global War on Terror.
