Alden Swan dot com

Maybe the Democratic members of the House were right about the rather strange “immediate pullout” resolution that the Republicans called for a vote for on Friday. Maybe it was a political stunt; if so, they should be ashamed of themselves. If it was legitimate, someone had better explain it. I don’t trust the media’s reporting of it, so I can’t say for sure whether it was a stunt or not; it was certainly odd enough to deserve some explanation.

Iraq is a serious issue, deserving of serious consideration; it should not be used as a weapon in a political battle, like children are sometimes used in a nasty divorce. If Murtha’s contentions are true – that the commanders in Iraq only say what the administration want them to – we need to know that. It doesn’t sound likely, but of all of the Democrats, Murtha’s opinions carry more weight because he’s not been one of the “wackos.” We need to know – the truth is always good, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat.

Again, I’m not necessarily buying the media’s take on things (surprise, surprise!), as they only filter through what they want, and it’s often imcomplete and out of context. But, whatever the case, it’s time we end this partisan crap and start talking and acting like adults. If you want to play politics, do it with your own careers – don’t do it with our soldiers’ lives.

I’m really getting tired of all of the political sniping and whining going on. I’ve been critical of the Republicans in the past when they’ve done it – but at the moment, most of the sniping and whining is coming from the left. If they were my kids, I’d send them to their room.

It might be different if the whining had some teeth to it, but it’s so wimpy, it’s pathetic. It’s so wimpy, in fact, even the media has a hard time getting behind it. Not all of the Democrats are guilty of this, but most of what I’m hearing sounds a lot like the typical schoolyard bully, who, when someone finally stands up to them, goes off crying for mommy.

Consider that for months, Democrats like Reid, Dean, and Kerry have done nothing but trash-talk the Republicans, spreading “untruths” (I’m being kind) about nearly everything, including their own positions on Iraq. Also consider that the Administration has been, in my opinion, way too silent for far too long. Finally, within the last week, President Bush and VP Cheney have finally spoken up and said that it’s okay to disagree, but don’t rewrite history.

The Democrats were offended.

Rep. John Murtha has recently come out and changed his view on our Iraq policy, and did a fine job of it (he’s not one of the whiners). He understandably took some criticism for his position, as I am sure he expected. However, I haven’t heard any criticism which was “over the top.” The worst thing I heard was a suggestion that he gave in to pressure from the way-left.

Today John Kerry came out with, “I won’t stand for the swift-boating of Jack Murtha.” John, no one is “swift-boating” anyone. It’s time for Kerry to grow up and get over it. It’s obvious that he still thinks of himself as a viable Presidential candidate, and may even think he’s still running. He hasn’t changed his rhetoric, anyway.

Harry Reid, true to form, claims the Administration is carrying out “an orchestrated attack campaign.” What? Who’s doing the attacking? Mr. Reid, perhaps a good look in the mirror is called for. The Democrats have no agenda at all, except to attack the Administration. They have no plan, no ideas, no “fix” for anything. So, they whine.

Murtha did whine – just a little – about Bush criticizing Democrats for criticizing the Administration, which is not really what he said. What Bush did say, however, was that criticism is okay – it’s telling lies and rewriting history that is over the top. It’s one of those “if the shoe fits” deals.

Again, the Democrats apparently were offended.

The media has been remarkably quiet since the Administration has been speaking up. I can only guess that they are afraid that at some point people might start talking about facts instead of rhetoric, and then they’ll have to report the truth.

I still find myself yearning for a statesman – someone to rise above the petty bickering and remind us all of what this country is about. We need someone with real sense, someone who can speak the facts and cut through all of the rhetoric – a great communicator. At the moment, we don’t seem to have any great communicators in either party.

Maybe Bush can do it – but he’s going to have to start making it a priority, reminding us on a daily basis of what he’s about. Otherwise, the silence just gets filled up with … well, you know.