It is time for Senators Clinton and Obama to be held accountable for their lack of support for our troops. For several months both of the leading candidates for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination have been going around the country trying to convince anti-war Americans that they too want to bring our troops home. In fact, both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama have promised to bring our troops home as soon as they are elected president. While that might be true it is time for Americans who really believe in bringing our troops home to force Senators Clinton and Obama to show that there is more to their support for our troops than rhetoric. Simply put, those Americans who strongly support the notion of bringing our troops home as soon as possible must stop supporting candidates like Senator Clinton and Senator Obama who—because of their place in the Senate could try to bring our troops home soon—but who are unwilling to use their senatorial power to try and make troop reduction a reality.
If Senators Clinton and Obama are so committed to the idea of bringing our troops home soon they should be willing to lead a filibuster against any war-funding bill that does not contain a timetable for troop withdrawal. If they are unwilling to take such a strong stand in support of what they both have said, over and over again, is the right thing to do, they should be held partially responsible for the continued deaths of our troops.
Over the last several weeks Senator Clinton has been trying to convince us that her decades of experience make her the best candidate to lead our nation. In response Senator Obama has been saying that sound judgment—as demonstrated by his recognition in 2002 that going to war in Iraq was a bad idea—that qualifies him to lead our nation. To both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama I say that being a leader is more than just telling us you are a leader. If you really want to show us that you are qualified to lead—start leading and do all you can to bring our troops home. After all, you have been telling us for months how strongly you believe that bringing our troops home is the right thing to do. Otherwise, we should hold both of you—and the rest of the weak-kneed Democratic Congress--at leased partially responsible for all of the deaths of our troops between now and January 20, 2009. You see, when dealing with issues of life and death it is not sufficient to defer your responsibility by blaming Republicans for not being willing to vote with you. I, for one, would have so much more respect for the one of you who was willing to risk some political support during a campaign season to stand for what you say you believe in—saving the lives of our troops.
Until either one of you is willing to be a leader when it comes to the most pressing issue of our time, I hope that progressive Americans will see both of you for what you are—cowards who value your own political futures more than the lives of the troops you claim to care so much for. Leading our nation is not about always having the votes—it is about being willing to take a stand for what you believe is right even when doing so is risky. It is true that mounting a filibuster against a war-funding bill that does not contain a timetable to withdraw most of our troops from Iraq might not work, but at leased you will have shown us that you are willing to lead. At leased you will have shown us that you are willing to stand for what you believe in. At leased you will have shown us that you really do support bringing most of our troops home. So far, your actions should be giving all Americans who really do support bringing our troops home reason to question your sincerity.
