Spinning Wheels In The Sand

With the U.S. spending so much time and energy into arming and training the Iraqi soldiers who support the current government and Iran apparently spending so much time and energy arming and training the Iraqi insurgents to oppose the current government, it is obvious that Iraq has definitely become the victim child in a custody hearing; being pulled between two countries highly invested in the future of the born-again nation. And to further show signs of either unflinching commitment or pure stubbornness, the Pentagon has extended the Army's tours of duty for soldiers from 12 months to 15 months and is planning to divert about $1.6 billion of its military budget to fund the troops until mid-summer while Congress and Bush duke out a bill.
And meanwhile, the president invited Democrats to the White House yesterday to discuss a bill funding the war but was clear that he was not going to negotiate a time table for withdrawing troops. With the president vowing to veto a bill attached to a time table and Congress pledging to cut funding for the war altogether if Bush does so, this move on the president's part seems to be yet another backwards step in his continuing dance of shame in this unsuccessful and abusive war. The president should to realize that he needs Congress to fund this war whether he likes it or not. Congress has many times pleaded with the president to negotiate and talk with an open-mind about a bill that would satisfy everyone but Bush has stayed the course and is costing our troops valuable necessities.
With around $120 billion on the table from Congress, Bush has been a fool to turn it down simply because it offers the only logical exit strategy since the war began. If he vetoes that bill, then he better start either reaching into his pockets to come up with some money or pick up a gun and march over to Iraq himself. His arrogance and stubbornness has already cost this country a great deal of suffering and has made few efforts to making our nation safer. He has created more enemies than we can fight and is now undermining the troops by pledging to veto a bill that prevents more young Americans from being into the furnace to try and salvage his presidential legacy.
Seeing as impeachment is beyond the reach of our simple-minded politicians, I can only hope that President Bush realizes that he is staying the course alone and needs the support of the American people before he can support the American troops.