You know, I sit back and watch what is going on with Iraq and see a huge chess game between democrats and republicans with the young military members being the playing pieces. My arguments have nothing really to do with being a liberal, conservative, moderate, extremist or any other poorly defined label.

Right now the party in the White House happens to be Republican and that party is acting in a shameful and disgusting manner. If that party really cared about the men and women in the military this debate would have been after the election. Instead Republicans used this debate to attempt to win back the Senate and when some other politician appeared to dissent, he or she was painted as unpatriotic. And that is the point.

Real, honest and sincere debate was prevented by terrible rotten basic politics and those who claim honor should have protected the lives of our young armed forces members.

When I was in the service and in the Middle East for our first excursion, I was older, wiser and more mature than most other young soldiers. I could see through the clearer forms of political persuasion, but these young people want to believe in American ideals and depend on our leaders to protect them and only put them in harms way when a true need exists. Our leaders have failed to do this and in this instance it is primarily the Republicans. OUR President could have stopped this debate and been a TRUE leader if he had simply stated, "I want a full, honest and sincere debate where all members of Congress can truthfully express their thoughts without fear of politics and elections."

But this was not done and the last point that seems to point to the truth in all of this is that those with combat experience have been expressing prudence and calm while those without want to break out the dogs of war.