Neither Party Has An Answer For Iraq

If one were to pick an issue that has come up time and time again in every election since 2002, it would be the War on Terror. Or more specifically, the War in Iraq. Both sides of the political arena think they know what the answer is to solving the problem of global terrorism. And it remains an issue because neither party has yet to come up with a way to get us out of this mess we are in. The hard facts are that Iraq is a mess. It is a failure in terms of success. But what do I know, the president says I'm wrong.
In part of a series of speeches the president will make leading up to Tuesday's election he said, "Democrats calling for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq aren't unpatriotic, just wrong." He also said, "Democrats who voted against legislation to detain and interrogate suspected terrorists, the National Security Agency's eavesdropping program and the Patriot Act don't understand the stakes in the war on terror." And to cap his campaign bashing, Bush said, "If they say they want to win the war on terror, but call for America to pull out of what al Qaeda says is the central front in this war, ask them this question: 'What's your plan?"
Good point. What is the Democratic plan to get us out of Iraq? No one knows. The reason is because the Democratic party is filled with nothing but whining and complaining politicians that don't know how to make a simple suggestion. Bush said in his speech, "Harsh criticism is not a plan for victory. Second guessing is not a strategy." He's right. When is the Democratic party going to wake up and realize that if they want to lead, they have to have a plan. If they are waiting until after the election, it will be too late. I fear that some Democrats will wake up Wednesday morning to find that the American people wanted a plan to get our troops home and they forgot to offer it.
But before someone confuses me with a Republican, let me say this. Bush's comments needed to also be directed at his own party. And at his White House. As of yet, the best plan for victory in Iraq offered by Republicans has been "let's go over there and win." And that about explains what they have. In my eyes, they are just as unprepared to provide a plan of action as the opposing party. And Democrats are quick to point this out.
Democrat Claire McCaskill is running for the Senate in the state where President Bush made his speech today. In a reply to Bush's allegations, McCaskill said, "President Bush has never had a plan to win in Iraq, and now that Democrats and Republicans are all calling for change, he's desperately clinging to his stay the course." And she is right. For three years now we have heard "stay the course." And this course, apparently, means standing idlely by and watching soldier after soldier die in vain for a cause they do not understand.
The truth of the matter is simply. Neither party has any good ideas on how to handle the real issues that face America. And another truth is that neither party is planning on dealing with the issues. We elect these people to do work and they do nothing but bicker and argue about who called who a poop-head or who is sleeping with who. Politicians don't have the answers. At least the ones in power right now don't. If we aren't going to rid ourselves of this government by force, we definitely should do it with our votes. Screw parties. Vote for someone else.