LETTER: Demos need better plan

Editor,

I am writing in response to Medlir Mema’s political commentary article dated Jan. 23, 2003.

In his article, Mema states that the idea that Democrats are weak on matters of the military and national defense are misguided and spurious. However, such an assertion clearly misrepresents both historical precedent and present circumstances.

I find it interesting that the article only mentions the positions of two Democrats, leaving out Dennis Kucinich and his proposed “Department of Peace” or Howard Dean and his national security platform, which, if I’m not mistaken, is titled “Surrender First.”

Currently, the most imminent threats to our national security exist, at least in large part, to the failures of Democrats. The Clinton administration had opportunities to combat the threats posed by both al Qaeda and North Korea and failed on both counts.

Most importantly, Democrats seemingly always make their opinions about military conflict matters of political expedience. Many Democrats vehemently opposed the war in Iraq because it lacked UN approval or because they felt that Saddam Hussein was not a threat to the Unites States. These same Democrats fervently supported the Clinton administration’s bombings in Kosovo, which also lacked a UN resolution or the presence of an imminent security threat. Not surprisingly, both actions were widely supported by Republicans who, more often than not, don’t put partisan agendas ahead of the needs of the military.

There were also Democrats who initially supported the war in Iraq, including John Kerry, and former Republican Wesley Clark. Once the post-war casualties began to mount, many of them withdrew their support claiming they had opposed it from the beginning. After the capture of Saddam, it’s been day-to-day, depending on the Democrat and whom he happens to be speaking to.

While we may all debate the wisdom of President Bush’s decisions with regard to these issues, his positions have been, at the very least, consistent. He has not wavered with the tide of public opinion. That, more than anything, is why the majority of voters believe the Republicans are better able to deal with the war on terror.

Bryan Hickman