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Duty & Honor
By Tom | September 9, 2007
It’s been said that courage is is doing your duty despite being afraid.
Cowardice, by the same token, is dereliction of duty out of fear.
By those definitions what is about to transpire in Congress over the next several weeks is cowardice.
Before I explain that, let’s get a few things straight:
- When the White House asks for money, especially a supplemental appropriation, Congress is not required by the Constitution to even consider the request. So when your local Congressman says there aren’t enough votes to block a supplemental, that’s disingenuous at best. Democrats don’t need a single vote to ignore a funding request that isn’t accompanied by a commitment to withdraw troops in significant numbers — now.
- None of the soldiers or Marines in the field are going to be harmed by a refusal to spend more money refereeing a civil war in Iraq. None of them will starve or be stranded there with no way home. They won’t suddenly be disarmed or adversely affected in any other way. Congress already has appropriated enough money to ensure the safe withdrawal of US forces and protect those on the ground while the withdrawal is underway.
- Finally, refusing to appropriate another $200 billion won’t guarantee withdrawal of forces. Appropriating $200 billion conditioned on withdrawal won’t guarantee withdrawal, even if George Bush signs the bill. This administration has shown over and over that it doesn’t regard itself as subject to laws, even laws enacted with the president’s signature.
With all those things in mind, for the Democrats in Congress to cave in now is cowardly and a dereliction of duty. They will be ignoring the will of a large majority of Americans, endangering American soldiers and Marines, and helping to perpetuate a foreign policy fiasco out of fear that Republicans will call them names and make false accusations against them.
They will continue to be part owners of this disaster. Out of fear.
It is time, finally, for Democrats to stand up and do what they were elected to do.
Courage.
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