Real problems: Troop strain, bad reporting

Bush met privately at the Pentagon with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Secretary Robert Gates in preparation for decisions about how long to sustain the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq, whether to change course this fall and how to save the health of a heavily stressed Army and Marines Corps.

Indications are that Bush intends to stick with his current approach, at least into 2008, despite persistent pressure from the Democrat-led Congress - including some prominent Republicans - to find a new course.
(Examiner.com)

The strain on U.S. troops is a legitimate story. Redeployment keeps many of the same soldiers in Iraq for a burdensome cumulative time. The surge strategy has featured aggressive action against insurgent operations--not much time for sleep.

The Democrats got a new course in January with the installation of General Petraeus, whom they confirmed unanimously. Petraeus' strategy is working ... so now they want to change directions again? To what? Something that won't work?

Bush is inclined to stick with the current plan because the military thinks it can accomplish the goals of the surge sufficiently to begin some draw-downs in 2008. Getting the Democrats to go along with the surge was like pulling yaks' teeth. The only "easy" way to relieve the stress on soldiers in Iraq is to pull troops out probably before the time is right in terms of strategy.

The point is that the Democrats don't have any idea what to do about Iraq. They had no idea when they got themselves elected to office with control of Congress in 2006 and they still don't. They're backseat drivers with nothing of value to tell the person at the wheel.

Short of re-instituting a draft, I don't know the solution here, either, except to encourage our soldiers to tough it out. And try to make it easier on them while they're there and when they return.

Consider helping through Soldiers' Angels.