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Commentary: US Congress questions General Patraeus about the Iraq War

Congress Questions General Patraeus

Our Congressional representatives continue to prove that life within the Beltway is far removed from reality. It's easy to pretend to know all when you are in control of the purse strings and are paid to express erroneous opinions. But, when the smoke clears, the true American heroes will shine. And those whose mouths don't seem to be connected to the heart of America will decay into the dust of insignificance.

Case in point General Patraeus. Anyone who knows the slightest about this man knows his commitment to the nation and the security of Americans. He is a brilliant man, a scholar of military methods, and an experienced soldier. Military matters flow through his veins. A West Point graduate, General Patraeus has spent the past 34 years serving all of us. He has been on numerous tours of duty, including Bosnia, Haiti, Kuwait, and Iraq.
He is an authority on military affairs not because he has scanned government reports but because he has lived military matters.
For loud-mouthed politicians to questions his integrity, especially those who don't seem to have a thread of honesty within them is absurd. To call this honorable man dishonest for political gain is an insult not only to the man but also to all of those who have fought for our freedom since this nation's inception.
America is the land where anyone can speak his/her mind. That is or once was our constitutional right, though now we must be politically correct to exercise that right. But when our elected officials people who devour our hard-earned and compulsory tax money as if it is their folly to waste it challenge the very man who works on their restricted budget to protect and defend, there is something horribly wrong. Some of the members of Congressional committee who performed the inquisition should not have been on it; only those with extensive military knowledge should have been allowed to question a man who knows far more than the committee. The committee was akin to arm-chair sports fans whose level of skills is minsicule.
Why do we waste good men's time and allow the media to insult them when these men are already accountable to their superiors men and women who understand what is at stake? Why do we allow Congress to waste our money on unnecessary hearings so that self-engaging politicians can elevate their own status?
Congress sends our brave men and women into the battlefield without proper protection and expects the leader to protect them. Yet those same representatives will spend millions on pork and kow-tow to special interests.
General Patraeus is a hero. Those who serve under him are also heroes. And those who sit in ivory towers, enjoying the freedoms the heroes protect, are not. When will they understand that freedom requires a strong militia with intelligent and experienced leadership?
General Patraeus has earned the respect of all Americans. How many in Congress can boast the same?

Learn more about this author, Swanee Ballman.
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Commentary: US Congress questions General Patraeus about the Iraq War

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