Bunker Mulligan "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." ~Mark Twain

It is a sad day for many. That will not stop the “loyal” opposition from trying to use it to their advantage. Gary Hart has already been on television, making his play for another run at the White House.

Vietnam. It was the best of times. It was a time when very vocal activists took on Lyndon Johnson and won. They took him down, and then did what they could to shift the blame to Nixon. Do not be confused by the revisionist history of that war. The US, in spite of a military hamstrung by Johnson and MacNamara making tactical decisions from the Oval Office, won that war during Tet 1968. But you would never have known it watching television news. Nixon went to the Peace Talks (in Paris) to try and withdraw our forces. After months of delay for discussion of the shape of the table in the negotiating room, Nixon began bombing targets which were previously forbidden. The North Vietnamese agreed to a table shape. After the standard delay in negotiations, Nixon again bombed the North. The talks were finally concluded. During all this “diplomacy”, more Americans were killed than have died in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Gary Harts and Nancy Pelosis of this country remember those days with fondness. What are a few American soldiers’ lives when compared to the bigger story of turning Iraq into today’s Vietnam? They are determined to make it a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Vietnam was not really a war fought in Southeast Asia. It was fought on the streets of the United States and in the halls of power in Washington. The same thing is happening today. Our military can do great things and accomplish every task given them. That is not the issue. The issue is political power. Period. They cannot allow themselves to do what needs to be done to end the problems for our troops–present a unified front. If they do that, they feel they are admitting Bush was right.

They don’t have to admit that to support what we are trying to do. They can still oppose Dubya and Rumsfeld. Nobody is asking them to change that. But they must come out and say we will stick together and see this through. That is the only way to end the insurgency short of destroying entire cities. The jihadists thrive on recognition and support–active and passive, direct and indirect. The Democratic wannabes provide, at a minimum, passive and indirect support. And there are some in this country providing even more.

It has nothing to do with being against the war. The war is over. And it has nothing to do with wanting the attacks to end. They would abate, then disappear, if the jihadists didn’t think they could influence American public opinion enough to drive us out.

What is it that the Democrats want? They can’t say. They offer no options. They offer only complaints and criticism. They are on the outside looking in, so that’s a safe stance. They don’t have to make decisions. They don’t have to offer alternatives. They simply offer platitudes.

Americans die, and they don’t care.