Reply #7: Calm down, sir. [View All]

[Kelly Rupert]

War-for-oil is not a substantive issue. It's an anti-war slogan. A substantive issue would be figuring out how to extract our asses from Iraq, not bitching about the reasons we're there in the first place. Figuring out how to get out is policy. Blaming the oilmen is politics. There's a time and a place for both, and I'm thankful that the Congress will soon be a place for forward-looking policy instead of backwards-looking politics.

The fact that Bush is a crony guy is true, but exposing him won't get us out of Iraq. The fact that Bush is an asswipe is true, but exposing him won't get us out of Iraq. Claiming we went to war for oil and only for oil is a bit simplistic, but even letting that slide, complaining about that won't get us out of Iraq either. Exposés might be gratifying, but they won't get us out of Iraq. Complaining about oilmen might be gratifying, but it won't get us out of Iraq.

You know what will get us out of Iraq? Formulating a comprehensive policy designed to get us out of Iraq. You know what will clean up Washington? No, it isn't exposing Abramoff and Scooter and Cheney and what-have-you, though those are useful. What will clean up Washington is formulating a comprehensive policy designed to increase transparancy and outlaw currently-legal influence-peddling practices. As egregious as the crimes of the past are, as the majority party we have a moral responsibility to grow up and concentrate on building this country's future. The Republicans ignored that eternal mandate to play politics, and it cost them their majority. We shouldn't make the same mistake.

Finally, your assertion that I must enlist because I don't believe that "no war for oil" is a governing platform is simply ridiculous. I'm against the war. The difference between you and me is that I recognize that protesting it is not the same as ending it. I'd rather do the latter.