Congress,
I understand that you are preparing for some Iraq briefings, and I was hoping that I might put in my two cents before everyone gets all hyped up for the General and the Ambassador. I'm sure that, responsible leaders that you are, you've been paying attention to the reports, polling, and other data that have been coming out recently concerning Iraq and the surge. The evidence is certainly not that the surge is working, just the opposite. But then, you know that. That's not why I'm writing today. I just want to make it clear how important it is that whatever decisions you are about to make (or not make, as the case may be) should be made using actual information, and not some deluded sence of politics.
Your track record thus far is less than encouraging. Throughout the last five years, you as a body have laid down in front of the Bush administration, which you wrongly assume to be some sort of juggernaut. I'll, reluctantly, give you a pass on authorizing the war. I'll even excuse your actions up until 2006. The fact is that the Bush-beholden, Republican majority up until that time left you with little choice to allow the president to act unabated.
All of that should have changed with the most recent mid terms. You may remember that the country elected you largely because of Iraq. That gives you what we who follow politics closely call a "mandate." It was made clear on that day that the voters' choice was for you to end the president's rampage and return American foreign policy to some sort of a resenable position. You even elected some very respectable democrats, such as Nancy Polosi and Harry Reid, to be your leaders on the hill.
Needless to say, many of us have been quite surprised be your inaction. When President Bush proposed a modest surge for Iraq, flying in the face of a bipartison commission and it's various ideas, you rolled over like a chess club champ in a full-contact football game. You agreed to wait to make any substantial effort to end this disgrace of a war until the administration said it would be ok. That time is unlikely to arrive. When the administration comes to you tomorrow, it is almost a sure thing that they will ask you to wait another several months to act.
It should be noted that I do have some personal interest. I am on month 13 of my second deployment to Iraq. (For what it's worth, I was supposed to be home by now but the entire army got extended. I didn't hear you yelling about that one either.) All things considered, I don't have it as bad as most. My job keeps me off of the streets and I have running water and air conditioning. I would however, like to see my loved ones again. I joined to fight in Afghanistan, but I haven't been there. I've only been to Iraq.
Because of my service, I have been somewhat limited in the actions and statements I can make in opposition to the war. You are not so limited. In fact, it is your job to fight against it. You were elected to end this thing, and I would like you to do that please. I'm doing my job as best I can, it's time for you to do yours.
I suppose it's possible that after five years, nearly 4,000 American deaths, and uncountable Iraqi deaths, you still believe that this war should be fought. If that's the case, I'll keep fighting it for you because thats the oath I swore. But I suspect that most of you don't feel that way. I suspect that because many of you have said so. You continue to support the fight because you wrongly believe that you will be punished politically if you don't. I would suggest you take a look at the most recent polling data if that's your concern.
Nonetheless, it will take a certain amount of courage to actively oppose the war. Fox News and Rush Limbaugh will rail against you and the president and his cronies will try to paint you as traitors. I hope that you have the internal fortitude to stand up against those risks and defend what you believe in. If you don't, that's your choice. You should know, though, that in my profession we don't take well to cowards. I, for one, am about tired of the way you have all been acting.