Contrasts

Honor

An excerpt from the comments made by Sen. Chuck Hagel during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting to craft a resolution disapproving of Bush's planned escalation in Iraq:

“Part of the problem that we have, I think, is because we didn't -- we didn't involve the Congress in this when we should have. And I'm to blame. Every senator who's been here the last four years has to take some responsibility for that. But I will not sit here in this Congress of the United States at this important time for our country and in the world and not have something to say about this. And maybe I'll be wrong. And maybe I have no political future. I don't care about that. But I don't ever want to look back and have the regret that I didn't have the courage and I didn't do what I could to at least project something.........

I don't know how many United States senators believe we have a coherent strategy in Iraq. I don't think we've ever had a coherent strategy. In fact, I would even challenge the administration today to show us the plan that the president talked about the other night. There is no plan. I happen to know Pentagon planners were on their way to the Central Com over the weekend. They haven't even team B'ed this plan. And my dear friend Dick Lugar talks about coherence of strategy. There is no strategy. This is a ping-pong game with American lives.

These young men and women that we put in Anbar province, in Iraq, in Baghdad are not beans. They're real lives. And we better be damn sure we know what we're doing, all of us, before we put 22,000 more Americans into that grinder. We better be as sure as you can be. And I want every one of you, every one of us, 100 senators to look in that camera, and you tell your people back home what you think. Don't hide anymore; none of us.

That is the essence of our responsibility. And if we're not willing to do it, we're not worthy to be seated right here. We fail our country. If we don't debate this, if we don't debate this, we are not worthy of our country. We fail our country.”

Dishonor

To every Republican Senator who weaseled their way out of taking a stand by saying while they don't support the plan – or have doubts about the plan, they could not vote for the resolution. This would be expected from worms like Norm Coleman. But it is especially repugnant from the 'ranking' member of the committee – Richard Lugar. Senator, with your experience and service – when will you take a true stand for country over politics. There truly is right and wrong – your comments were depressingly sad and a tragic dis-service to America. For shame.

Posted on The Human Stain