So Many Republican Hypocrites, So Little Time

September 21, 2007 | SEND TO A FRIEND | GET EARLY NOTICE OF THE HOTW

Robert M. Gates

Welcome back to the BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrite of the Week.

When it comes to the cynical and phony mantra of the GOP to "support our troops," you would think the Pentagon would be Ground Zero for taking care of our GIs.

Apparently not.

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates took to the airwaves to denounce legislation to ensure that our soldiers receive appropriate training, rest, and rotation. On a Sunday talk show, Gates said "he would recommend a veto of a Senate proposal that would give troops more rest between deployments in Iraq, branding it a dangerous 'backdoor way' to draw down forces."

Talk about betraying our troops; this is what it looks like.

Senator James Webb (D-VA) co-sponsored the bill that the Republicans successfully obstructed on September 19, after Gates and the Bush Administration actively opposed it.

In short, Gates, the cabinet official responsible for the military, undercut the health, family life, combat readiness, and morale of our troops.

Gates essentially argued that the military was so depleted that the Busheviks couldn't afford to follow prudent and considerate treatment of our GIs.

In short, it was a tacit admission that this Administration has broken the back of our military and is treating our GIs like indentured servants.

This is not only a policy lacking in basic compassion and decency, but it also ensures that we have a fighting force that is stressed, tired, and resentful. That's no way to fight a war against an ever-changing array of "insurgents."

Gates basically said "screw the troops." Bush wants to extend the war so the next president can handle the disaster that he created -- and he can't accomplish that if we treat our GIs and their families with appropriate concern for their welfare and combat readiness.

The position of the current Secretary of Defense is not just hypocrisy; it's loathsome and abhorrent. We have a moral obligation to our troops and their families. Obviously, Secretary Gates values his loyalty to Bush -- and his grand fiasco -- more than his obligations to the men and women of the military that he heads.

Making Gates the GOP Hypocrite of the Week is a slap on the wrist. Like Bush, Cheney, Rice, and the Bush Twins, he should be serving on the front lines under the unacceptable conditions and periods of service he is so eager to champion.

Until next week, remember our motto: So many Republican hypocrites, so little time.

Catch up with you soon.