I've got my feet on the accelerator

We've been in Iraq four years and the debate on the floor of the House is the first. In four years. And the Republicans would like to have the debate without actually talking about Iraq. Perhaps a non-binding resolution stating that they prefer creamy peanut butter would be more to their liking.

Our Republican friends are blasting democrats for a. not having a plan for Iraq now that they are in the driver's seat; b. not supporting the troops by debating the Iraq war; c. it's non-binding so "toothless".

Let's rebut

A. You were in the "driver's seat" for four years and you never had a debate on Iraq at least we're doing something.

B. Claiming that someone else doesn't support the troops while you introduce a measure to cut funding for veteran's benefits seems somewhat, I don't know, hypocritical. I was going to go with the argument that everyone supports the troops but now I have to say YOU don't. You are willing to send them into harms way without adequate body armor, armored vehicles and you want to screw them when they come home.

C. It's toothless. Perhaps it is. But when your colleagues in the Senate wouldn't even allow a toothless measure to get to the floor (including the person who wrote the resolution) is it really toothless? Or is it a way to get the ball rolling? Which we need desperately since every day more of our troops die.

It's insulting that the Republicans just keep spinning instead of actually dealing with the "facts on the ground."

And the other lie that frosts me like a cake is that Iran is the problem in Iraq. Who is supporting the Sunnis? It's not Iran.

The troops that President Bush wants to surge now won't be getting their armored vehicles until the summer.

How do you explain to the thousands of American troops now being poured into Baghdad that they will have to wait until the summer for the protective armor that could easily mean the difference between life and death?

It's bad enough that these soldiers are being asked to risk their lives without President Bush demanding that Iraq’s leaders take any political risks that might give the military mission at least an outside chance of success. But according to an article in The Washington Post this week, at least some of the troops will be sent out in Humvees not yet equipped with FRAG Kit 5 armor. That's an advanced version designed to reduce deaths from roadside bombs, which now account for about 70 percent of United States casualties in Iraq.