Sunday, October 15, 2006

Civilian Responsibility

I've not been posting much because during this cycle I've been focused on raising money. But today I just had to vent. I watched the Klobuchar-Kennedy MN Senate debate on Meet the Press today. Kennedy was reciting the usual GOP hack points, but one item really raised my hackles. Russert pulled a quote from Klobuchar early in the year that indicated she'd be willing to overrule commanders in the field and bring troops home. I was a bit peeved she backed off that comment in the interview, but fuming when Kennedy pounced on the comment and the earlier quote.

It is up to CIVILIAN COMMANDERS to decide when to leave a battlefield. Our troops are trained to fight when we ask them to, and they'll stay as long as we ask them to. They won't tell us it's time to go home. They won't tell us they don't want to fight anymore. They signed up to serve our country.

It is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to these men and women to say "enough". They won't do it. Nor do we want them to. Remember Vietnam - the generals wanted to stay because they thought they could win. We had to say "come home". When I hear the GOP say "we're going to listen to commanders in the field" that is ABDICATING OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE GIVING THEIR LIVES TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY. It's our job to say when to stay or come home. Anything less demeans these fine men and women who serve.

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