US News & Comment

Today Pete Stark (D-CA) offered an apology for his inflammatory remarks made about President Bush and the troops on the floor of the House last week.

While his remarks were indeed filled with offensive hyperbole, his premise is merely an echo of the arguments of other Democrat Congressmen, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. This is particularly unsettling considering that the President submitted a supplemental spending bill of $196.4 billion to Congress to fund the war on terror during 2008. And Democrats want to behave like my 3 year old and refuse to give him any money, because he didn’t give them any money.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bush-sends-updated-iraq-supplemental-to-congress-2007-10-22.html

It is time that people, and political leaders, in this country remember why the government was established in the first place. A little read and often ignored document from our nations history begins with a statement of exactly why the founders felt that a national government was necessary. It states:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

No where in this preamble does it mention funding health care for anyone–even children. It does not mention social security, food stamps, medicare or prescription drug benefits. In fact, it does not commit government to provide any individual need besides liberty and justice.

It does, however, reference the general welfare and common defence. These are items that concern every citizen of this nation. And this includes defending all citizens from random and savage attacks of radical, hate-filled terrorists.

This same document names the President of the United States the Commander-in-Chief of the military. He is charged with the protection of the entire country from foreign threats. Whether the Democrats like it or not George W. Bush is the elected President of our country and endowed with these constitutional powers. And no matter who wishes to deny it, our country faces a threat from terrorists of various organizations who wish only for our complete destruction.

Most of President Bush’s two terms has been spent guarding against any further attacks on our soil. He has made tough decisions that have included putting our military in harm’s way so that all children here can play, learn and grow without the fear that they will be blown up. Perhaps he, and other Republicans, can be forgiven for feeling that this is a cause less open to partisan debate than insuring 10 million children whose need is questionable.

Comparing money for the S-CHIP program, which is not even a legitimate function of the government, to money needed for national defense, which is one of the primary functions of the federal government is ridiculous. And withholding money from the men and women who are protecting our security and liberty for political revenge is outrageous and irresponsible. Not to mention, it does no good for anybody’s children.

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