If the Iraqis think we are going to be there for 100 years, why do they have to do anything?

The liars and con artists have won,....for the time being,.....the election is coming after which we will be able to show these criminals how the cow really eats the cabbage.

It looks like whoever is the next president will definitely be getting the short end of the stick. Bush is doing everything in his power to make it impossible for his relief.
Afghanistan welcomes U.S. troop "mini-surge"

I can only assume that Mr. Link has never served a day in his life in our military, so I will come to the conclusion that he does not fully appreciate nor understand the meaning of defending the very country that permits him to nurture a cowardly mindset.

Who CARES whether there's a surge or a wholesale D-Day-style invasion? When will Mr. Link and his ilk grow a backbone to stand up and fight - literally - for their lives and for those of their countrymen (or are Americans their countrymen?)

Bring the troops home, he says. When will Mr. Link, and the Democratic Party as a whole, stop their hatred of President Bush and remember that SOMEONE must be willing to stand up and defend this country. On this point, I do not refer to President Bush (or anyone else in Congress except for a very few) but I refer to those who are willing to put themselves in harm's way in the defense of this country and to protect and defend their fellow warriors.

When are YOU going to do something like that, Mr. Link?

When are YOU going to stop being a fear-hog frozen in your timidity and cowardice to stand up to defend yourself (much less the country that gave you a life only billions on this planet can only dream of?)

While you whine about what the troops are going through "over there" fighting to protect YOUR country and your cushy way of life, Mr. Link, you repay that favor by hamstringing and endangering the lives of those patriotic warriors with your threats of cutting off defense funds and your seemingly solicitous concerns for troop welfare. What do YOU know about any of that, Mr. Link? Even if you HAD served in the military, there's no telling where your mind went after discharge.

Your cries for bringing the troops home demoralize those troops as well as serve to satisfy your own cowardice and your instinct for self-preservation; it could just as easily have been YOU taking a bullet in Afghanistan or getting blown up by an IED in Iraq. And you just shudder at the horror of it. My heart just bleeds for you.

So, Mr. Link, misery loves company, is it? Perhaps you do our military a service by staying at home and squawking at those politicians who - at least outwardly - have some interest in providing our troops with the resources, equipment, and moral support by and with which to accomplish their mission efficiently and expeditiously.

I, for one, Mr. Link, am grateful that you and those of your cowardly mindset do not serve by my side. As I return for my second tour "in the sandbox", I will be comforted by the fact that I will be surrounded by my brothers and sisters who are eager to get the job done - without their hands being tied being their backs - so that WE can get back home all the more sooner, brought about not through your pathetic whining about "bringing the troops home".

No one ever said that the defense of our freedom and security is a "just add water" affair. If you are resolved to continuing to benefit from the free way of life, I would highly advise you to be resolved to defend it for as long as it takes. If you are NOT willing to stand with our troops (which you clearly are not, despite any entreaties to the contrary on your part that you may manage to provide), allow our troops the courtesy the moral support that they also need to get the job done and make it home.

I wonder where my Democratic Party - the one of strength, resolve, integrity, determination, fairness, and pride - went. Roosevelt and Kennedy are sorely needed nowadays.

Mr. Link, if you and the Democratic Party are not willing to stand behind our troops, please feel free to stand in front of them.

SOMEONE must be willing to stand up and defend this country.
Posted by morfiliwr on January 10, 2008 at 11:37 AM

Defend this country from what? From whom? The problem with Iraq is that there was no need for us to be there. The problem with Bush is that he lied to the people, to the leadership, and to the world in order to pursue a personal vendetta.

FDR was fighting for our survival. Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito and their war machines were actually threatening world stability. Can you tell me how Saddam was threatening us?

Bin Laden was responsible for 9/11 and where is he? How can this administration let that man go and pursue their own agenda?

I am a military member as well, and I despise the was in Iraq. It is frivilous, dangerous and baseless. I'm sorry that you feel that the Democratic party does not support you. We don't support the war in Iraq. I'm sorry that you must deploy repeatedly because there are not enough people volunteering.

However, the Democratic party has the characteristics that you mention-strength, resolve, integrity, determination, fairness, and pride. We support the troops, but we do not support the War in Iraq.

John McCain has some experience in the military and a whole lot of experience with torture...But he has little experience with creating a Foriegn Policy that will work for Most Nations. He does best with Nations that have no other solution but bombs and bullets.

Hillary on the other hand was present when negotations were being discussed with other foreign leaders! sometimes those talks became heated... And all times except two those talks calmed and reason was heard coming from both sides. A treaty was signed and followed up to prove complience. When nothing worked except Military force it was swiftly executed and suceeded in that nation building their own Democracy after we pulled out except a token force to help ocassionally with suggestions for a good future plan in one area or another.

Our Nation is so far gone in bad policies and bad decisions that it will take someone with a lot of experience like Hillary and then she will stay on her toes to keep the tent from falling.

While The Republicans build a great Nation in wealthy Iraq our Nation at home is falling down around us. It is never wise to spend all your resources to build another Nation while negletcing your own home land.

Vote wise unto salvation of America!

"Mr. Link, if you and the Democratic Party are not willing to stand behind our troops, please feel free to stand in front of them."

Classy.

Dear Republican where did you stand with your mother, behind her apron strings?

I know Republicans have been exposed and they have nothing else except slurs toward the wise and experienced. Sour Grapes, don't you know that God is stamping out the grapes of wrath where the Republicans are stored?

Vote for Hillary and prove yourself to be our equal.

Remember New Orlenes when voting for a your next President.

Ms. Margotb822:

I do not need your pity, nor does anyone else who deploys. You just keep in mind that I VOLUNTEERED to deploy when I didn't have to. No one made me. And yes: I support this war wholeheartedly. Without reservation. What "makes" me go is the disgust I feel for those who would not stand by me in battle and those who would not stand by America when she needs them the most. Your comments place you in this category, your claims of service in the military notwithstanding.

I do not feel LIED to. You seem to imply that all Americans, both civilian and military, do not have the wherewithal to think for themselves (think outside the box, as it were) but are only innocent babes who accept everything they see or hear as gospel truth. You can sit there and feel LIED to. That is your own fault for being a "sucker" from the get-go, assuming you once believed what you were "spoon-fed" seven years ago.

Have you looked beyond Iraq for reasons for the invasion? Do you think I CARE if Saddam Hussein had WMDs? Where were YOU when Saddam conducted genocide within his own borders? Did you raise any objections when he carried on his horrors in a police state for more than 30 years? Have you ever considered that there's an even bigger threat right across the eastern border? Do you care to recall Saddam's little incursion into Kuwait in 1990? Do you care to remember the little squabble Saddam instigated with Iran throughout the 1980's? Do you forget that Saddam threatened Saudia Arabia (one of America's alleged 'friends')? Indeed, his forces did make it across the border into Saudia Arabia. You seem to have forgotten Saddam's sending SCUDs into Tel Aviv after coalition forces crossed Iraq's southern border.

Do you forget that Saddam was extremely helpful to fellow Ba'athists in Lebanon and Syria? Please tell me Lebanon and Syria are good friends with the United States from that region. I doubt that you can.

Who is the threat? Who are we defending ourselves from, you ask? You must be more blind than I thought. Let's see: Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah...um...the Iranians...the Taliban...shall I go on? Oh, I forgot about 9/11. I guess you've been in a coma for the past seven years. When you see day after day either a mob of scum screaming for the death of America or a pissant little failed college student fomenting a provocative act against American military forces, when you see America and Americans being attacked or killed - even before the war began - how can you stick your head in the sand and wallow in denial? Must be a luxury for you.

Saddam was a threat to the entire Middle East, though he was not the only one. Hello, Iran? Syria? Lebanon? Egypt?? Saudi Arabia???

Despite your hatred for President Bush and the Republican Party, they ARE fighting for survival of this free country. You seem to think that the threat to our freedom ended with the surrender aboard the USS Missouri. How can you be so simple-minded??

No, dear: you and the Democratic Party do NOT support me. That is not my biggest concern. It is your attitude and that of the Democratic Party that does not support AMERICA. No, YOU cannot have it both ways by chanting that tired old mantra "we support the troops but not the war". Spare me. Your duplicity borders on treason.

There is no integrity nor pride nor strength nor resolve in today's Democratic Party. Joe Lieberman took it with him when he went independent after being abandoned by the Democrats. Hillary is being attacked by her own party who worships Obama. Jesus wept.

I would advise you to hang up your uniform and join the rabble who would not dare fight a real fight but only to run and hide to stir up "intellectual" babble. You may wear the uniform, but I can honestly say that the uniform to you is merely a cool fashion statement.

Military, indeed.

Dear Republican where did you stand with your mother, behind her apron strings?

I know Republicans have been exposed and they have nothing else except slurs toward the wise and experienced. Sour Grapes, don't you know that God is stamping out the grapes of wrath where the Republicans are stored?

Vote for Hillary and prove yourself to be our equal.

Dear Communist:

Funny you mention that: I stood in front of MY mommy when I served in Iraq and will do so again. Come to think of it, I stood in front of YOUR mommy, too. And every other mommy in America.

You miss the sarcasm in my comment. I invite you to step in front of an oncoming round if you are not willing to back up your troops.

The only one hiding behind mommy's skirts is you. Mommy woulnd't sign the permission slip to join the military. Guess she signed the permission slip to flee to Canada.

Did you not read my post? Where did I say I was a Republican? I am a Democrat. And I am certainly voting for Hillary, though not to prove anything to a condescending traitor such as you. Are you that stupid that you cannot read everything not explicitly spellt out for you?

I already prove to America through my service to my country, not who I vote for, coward.

You speak of experience and wisdom. In my view, the only experience you hold is the lifetime spent in a sheep pen awaiting slaughter.

Join the military and serve your country in battle and prove to be MY equal.

Until then, Communist, keep your gullet in the trough of freedom that I provide for you.

Dear Republican where did you stand with your mother, behind her apron strings?

I know Republicans have been exposed and they have nothing else except slurs toward the wise and experienced. Sour Grapes, don't you know that God is stamping out the grapes of wrath where the Republicans are stored?

Vote for Hillary and prove yourself to be our equal.

Dear Communist:

Funny you mention that: I stood in front of MY mommy when I served in Iraq and will do so again. Come to think of it, I stood in front of YOUR mommy, too. (Facing her, of course.) I stood in front of every other mommy in America. How about you?

You miss the sarcasm in my comment. I invite you to step in front of an oncoming round if you are not willing to back up your troops.

The only one hiding behind mommy's skirts is you. Mommy woulnd't sign the permission slip to join the military. Guess she signed the permission slip to flee to Canada.

Did you not read my post? Where did I say I was a Republican? I am a Democrat. And I am certainly voting for Hillary, though not to prove anything to a condescending traitor such as you. Are you that stupid that you cannot read everything not explicitly spellt out for you?

Saying John McCain has some military experience is like saying Bill Gates has some cash tucked away. You really do hate your military, don't you?

I already prove to America through my service to my country, not who I vote for, coward.

You speak of experience and wisdom. In my view, the only experience you hold is the lifetime spent in a sheep pen awaiting slaughter.

Join the military and serve your country in battle and prove to be MY equal.

Until then, Communist, keep your gullet in the trough of freedom that I provide for you.

Posted by morfiliwr on January 10, 2008 at 01:03 PM

I will dissect your misstatements paragraph by paragraph (my apologies to those with dial-up).

1) I as well volunteered. Before 9/11. I support America wholeheartedly. But this war is not America’s war. It is Bush’s war, built on false pretenses for personal gain. I will always stand by America, but I will also stand up when I see things that are wrong. This war in Iraq is wrong.
2) Just because you don’t FEEL lied to doesn’t change the fact that you are lied to. I have never swallowed the Kool-Aid that Bush was trying to force feed America and the rest of the world. If you don’t feel lied to, you are a victim of the Bush spin.
3) The fact that we are looking beyond WMDs or 9/11 as the reason for invading Iraq is proof that we are looking for justification to be in Iraq. I do recall Saddam’s actions into Kuwait in the 1990s, but that was handled. Saddam was castrated after that event. What atrocities did he commit prior to the American invasion? And by your logic, we should invade every country that has ever committed an atrocity. Well, we would have to invade China, Russia, Britain, probably Germany again, and hell why don’t we invade ourselves as well. We can’t justify our current action because of past atrocities that have already been addressed. So you should CARE that Saddam had WMDs. You should care that what you are doing is legal and in the world’s interests.
4) It is well documented that Saddam did not have ties to 9/11 and that the only WMDs he had were the ones that Reagan sold him. You list these threats “Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah...um...the Iranians...the Taliban...shall I go on? Oh, I forgot about 9/11”, yet we have not addressed any of them. We may have knocked out the Taliban temporarily, but we abandoned Afghanistan and the Taliban are resurgent. Your next tour will probably be there. I am not in denial about the current world situation, but you apparently are. You seem to think that fighting in Iraq will counter the real threats. If anything, the war in Iraq has increased the chance of a real threat materializing. The people who can do the most damage know that America is burning the military candle at both ends. We have nothing left to defend ourselves. Tell me, how many wars do you think this country can fight at one time?
5) I’m going to directly quote you on this, in the hopes that you can see how blind you are “Despite your hatred for President Bush and the Republican Party, they ARE fighting for survival of this free country. You seem to think that the threat to our freedom ended with the surrender aboard the USS Missouri. How can you be so simple-minded?? First, I didn’t hate Bush or his cronies until they started breaking the law and lying about it. It was not America against the world until Bush tried to put the good or evil spin on it. You are simple minded if you believe that things can be so easily separated.
6) America was not ever in danger of not surviving. The world order is always shifting and we need to acknowledge that. Bush wanted to fight in Iraq because he didn’t know how to fight the modern threat of the Taliban, Al Qaeda, etc. Bush is fighting for oil, for money, for personal gain. And you are on the losing end of that if you are such a supporter.
7) I will not even entertain the idea that I cannot be a liberal intellectual and also in the military. The suggestion that someone is either “with us” or “with the terrorists” is ignorant and based in fear.

You are afraid. You are afraid that you will die for something false and meaningless. You try to justify your military service with anger. You are also afraid to admit this. You can bluster all you want, but in the end, it will be of no use. The “intellectuals” you spit on are the ones that are truly fighting for you and for America. We see the bigger picture. We are not caught in the Matrix world that Bush has spun. You are still asleep and they are feeding off your energy.

Being patriotic has nothing to do with fighting in a questionable war. Being patriotic is standing up to the leadership that is trying to keep us down. We will use free speech, we will defend our Constitution from the terrorists. We will not go quietly and fall in line. Those are the principles that America was built on. And we defend those every day simply by using them.

So please, take your fear and your hate somewhere else. Your mind is closed and it is of no use to you or America.

And I am certainly voting for Hillary
Posted by morfiliwr on January 10, 2008 at 01:35 PM

You must not understand her position on the War in Iraq.

What do you want from your government? Someone who will stand up to terrorists and terrorism or someone who will lash out at an easier target? Do you want a diplomat or a fool?

Your lack of respect for the American democratic process borders on treason.

You are placing a disproportional amount of weight on your military service. You are not special or unique. If you want someone to tell you that, go ask your mother.

Again I say, take your fear and hate elsewhere. This is a site for discourse, not dispair.

You are afraid. You are afraid that you will die for something false and meaningless. You try to justify your military service with anger. You are also afraid to admit this. You can bluster all you want, but in the end, it will be of no use. The “intellectuals” you spit on are the ones that are truly fighting for you and for America. We see the bigger picture. We are not caught in the Matrix world that Bush has spun. You are still asleep and they are feeding off your energy.

It must be nice to lecture from your cushy, air-conditioned office.

Yes, I am afraid to die for something meaningless. Absolutely right. I am afraid to die for you who will not defend this country. If I die knowing you will sell out this country, my death will have been in vain. Yes, you are absolutely right that I am angry. I am angry at the likes of YOU whose hatred of Bush blinds you to the reality of actually having to fight, and possibly die. If you stopped hating and step forward to defend this country, you would be amazed at your own self-serving rhetoric.

The intellectuals fighting for ME? On MY behalf? For America?? You are a grand fool. I guess your buddy Chomsky is fighting on my behalf, too. This counts as the stupidest comment I've ever heard this year, especially coming from the mouth of an alleged "veteran". Sweetie, why would I go and do something I was afraid to do and risk death, even if I felt it was wrong (which I don't)? I'd be better off hiding behind a protest sign like you if that were the case. Air Force, perhaps?

No, sweetheart:

"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier,
who salutes the flag,
who serves under the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
who allows the protester to burn the flag."

Your so-called "discourse" is YOUR justification not to risk it all to defend this country. All those who do risk their lives (you do not count) and those who have given all will have died for nothing with your ungratefulness.

Treason and fear in the guise of discourse is as fake as your military service.

You are the epitome of one who would rather serve on her knees rather than dying on her feet.

Your feeble attempts at playing armchair psychologist are lame. While you protest the GOP National Convention, I will remember you while I play "Dodge the IED" along the Euphrates and why I am fighting.

Did you hang up your Air Force blues yet, darling?

Your lack of respect for the American democratic process borders on treason.

You are placing a disproportional amount of weight on your military service. You are not special or unique. If you want someone to tell you that, go ask your mother.

Sorry, I've already used the treason accusation on you. Try something else.

Darling, there is NO disproportional (it's "disproportionate", actually) amount of weight on MY or anyone's military service. Sorry, darling, but I AM unique and special because of that. I'm truly sorry you regret your own service (that is, if you ever really served in the military, which I'm beginning to doubt.) You truly do not value military service for what it's worth. Again, you must have joined the Air Force for the college benefits.

We can argue and accuse each other of this-and-that, but keep the "mommy" comments out of this, sweetie. You speak of conducting "discourse" yet throw "yo mama" insults. How about telling YOUR mother she raised a weakling and a traitor?

Get off your knees and get up on your feet. I'm sure you heard that at MEPS once.

Did you hang up your Air Force blues yet, darling?

Posted by morfiliwr on January 10, 2008 at 02:46 PM

This alone shows that you are a know-nothing fool. I am not in the Air Force.

I don't want you to die for me or this country. I want you to grow old watching your grandchildren.

But, I am done with you and your reich-tiousness. You have no clue what America is about.

I don't want you to die for me or this country. I want you to grow old watching your grandchildren.

I don't want to die: I am not a martyr nor am I a suicide bomber (with whom you seem to sympathize; I thought they were able to treat Stockholm Syndrome.) However, I am willing to risk it if it means we live one more day in freedom.

I am just sad to say that if I serve to defend and protect America, I would have to include YOU on that list.

Be done and begone.

And you are welcome for my service.

Poof. margot is gone and now you are stuck with me. You aren't going to get off that easily.

When will Mr. Link and his ilk grow a backbone to stand up and fight - literally - for their lives and for those of their countrymen (or are Americans their countrymen?)

I guess I'm one of his ilk, so I'll take a stab at you on this one...since you seem to want to fight with anybody who doesn’t vote neocon Republican.

What in the hell are the things you think are worth fighting for? What freedom-loving American wouldn't hate the things this President has done to our country and done to the military as Commander-in-Chief?

He's acted like a fascist and an incompetent.

You obviously don't care about civil liberties or weakening our military establishment. I'm with Ron Paul and the rest of the Libertarians on this.

Instead of going after Bin Lauden, Bush has wasted money and time going into Iraq which had nothing to do with al Queada and 9/11. You grow up and start admitting he was totally wrong.

Once Bush got his blunder going on in Iraq, he then began assuming powers that belong to Congress. He's continues to break laws he doesn't like and he makes up his own. He doesn't have that power under the Constitution.

He has no right to be spying on citizens without a court order. He has no right holding anybody without charging them with a crime and giving them a speedy trial with legal representation. He has no reason to be torturing human beings and setting up gulags around the world to do it...and doing it in the name of Uncle Sam.

And he has not right wrecking our Treasury with his misguided occupation and borrowing money from the Communists in China to do it. If you were really worried about our national security, this would alarm you the most.

I'm not going to defend Michael Link because he can do it himself. But he really doesn't have to....we still have free speech in this country, although I'm sure you'd like to get rid of that, too.

You need to quit defending the Bush crime family and start defending the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And quit advocating that we waste more tax payer money in Iraq.

Hi i am a armymom and i support our troops and yes i am voteing for hillary. If the democrats pick obama to be the next in line for the white house i will vote republican. Why anyone would want a muslin for our president is crazy. obama changed his faith after he was married. If you want to know the real barack hussien obama go to this site and read www.freedomsenemies.com/_more/obama.html and if it doesn't scare you nothing will. He smoked a little more than maryjane. Bush will never get osama , but if congress will let the next president we will get him. My son is in the army and i will not get a good nights sleep until this war is over and he is home for good. Its hillary all the way.

Posted by SandyH on January 10, 2008 at 06:55 PM
Poof. margot is gone and now you are stuck with me. You aren't going to get off that easily.

Tell you what, Sandy babe: why don't YOU go and get off?

Geez, glad I'm not married to you - try getting a boyfriend. Poor guy.

You know, your sexually-frustrated self can be summed up with the saying:

"Arguing on the Internet is like the Special Olympics: you may win but at the end of the day, you're still retarded."

When you achieve your Socialist totalitarian utopian state and burn the Constitution and its attendent Bill of Rights that I protect for all Americans - Democrats and Republicans alike - come back and tell this 22-year centrist Democrat and member of the Armed Forces if your favored leftish dictator will grant you even one of the civil liberties you so eagerly gave up.

Say hello to Jane Fonda, Hugo Chavez, and your Code Pink comrades down at the collective for me.

Al-Sadr publicly announces that he's taking a 6-month vacation and McCain thinks we won the surge!

All of the reverse de-Baathification stuff is fine but I think McCain is right that we will either be there long term at enormous cost to the U.S. or that we will be pulling out the troops and cutting off aid if we continue to insist upon the Iraqis entering into long term contracts with the multi-national oil companies.

The majority of the Iraqi people are not going to let a small group of aristocrats sign away their oil for 25 years or more unless they are made to accept it by overwhelming military superiority like we now have there. We will continue to need that kind of military superiority so long as we want to prevent the Iraqis from nationalizing their oil industry and once we pull out after the U.S. gets tired of sending $9 billion a month to provide military support to Maliki and company we are going to see helicopters on the roofs of our embassies while CNN interview Maliki at his villa on the outskirts of Paris.

Meanwhile, what will the multi-nationals have gained? The Iraqis will eventually nationalize their oil industry anyway after the multi-nationals have pumped billions of dollars into investments in extraction and refining. That will belong to the Iraqis as soon as the U.S. gets tired of providing massive military support.

It would be a lot better to bring some sanity into this situation where the U.S. allows the Iraqi government to return to their nationalized oil industry and allows the return of government employee unions so that the Iraqis have a stake in a prosperous secular government.

I am 74 years of age and I have a lot of experience. Like Hillary I know what has worked and what has failed with most of the Presidents. Hillary has studied other Presidents too...And she has learned what to do and how to do it and a BIG what not to do.

You will be experienced some day when you have lived long enough.