Rudi: forgive me, I’m slow. Please explain your coup de’grace to me, perhaps s p e l l i n g i t o u t f o r m e ?

Rudi’s coup de’grace was spot on, but I would add that you seem to have a remarkably ho-hum attitude about the most pressing issue in the U.S. today, one that an increasing number of your fellow Republicans also see as something that demands action.

The Dem politicians are asking: Will cutting funding for the war hurt them in the upcoming elections? Is that risk greater than the risk of staying in Iraq a little longer?

The Dem voters have to ask: Should we continue to support these people even if they won’t cut funding for the war? Is an extension of the war worse than having Republicans in control of Congress in 2008 and beyond?

Most Republicans are playing the same game, with opposing rhetoric of course. It’s just too bad our troops, the Iraqi people, global security and our tax dollars hang in the balance.

And if/when it passes, what are you going to do with your resolution? Frame it? Pass out copies at anti-war rallies? You’ve got to know that Bush is determined to ignore you and is going to go ahead and do what he wants so long as he is in office.

So what’s the point? Other than making yourselves feel good and morally superior, which you certainly don’t need a non-binding resolution for, just why are the Dems using up so much time on something that matters not in the least?

And, yes, for the same reasons, it is ridiculous that the GOP is bothering to even debate this. Let the Dems have their vote. The troops will know, as will the country, that it all for show and means nothing. Absolutely nothing.

In the end, the Dems have given us a world without Islamic terrorists and fossil fuels. Global warming will be stopped and we will live happily ever after.

……

With that said, I can’t believe Republicans are still trotting out some of these arguments

We cannot support our troops without supporting their mission. The resolution before us, unfortunately, undermines the ability of our troops to complete their mission. — Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif.

And I think Boehner said something along the lines of “if we leave Iraq, they will follow us home.”

Does any moderate or thinking person actually fall for these tactics anymore?

Guess what Dreier, supporting our troops means giving them our respect, and how do you claim to respect our troops if you don’t give them tools, traning and objectives that will lead to success and safety?

And Boehner, why would Shiite Militias and Sunni insurgents follow us home? They are mostly fighting each other and when they do attack us, they do it because we are an incompetent occupying power that has pissed off most of the population. There is hardly any security or utilities. Unemployment is high and we’ve even been caught torturing innocent Iraqis.

The bulk of the insurgency is not the Al-Qaeda types, and the Al-Qaeda types that are there are there because of us.

You make two good points.

I disagree with the first. While you are correct in describing the Senate’s parliamentary parameters, this is no time for business as usual.

I agree with the second and have removed the name of the Marine from the caption.

And I’m not sure if I’d include a photo of a casket along with the name of the deceased in a political discussion…unless you know that the deceased would agree with you on that particular issue and wouldn’t object to the picture being used. Otherwise you might be dragging them into something they don’t agree with and can’t object to (being dead).