War Czar Lute: War Debate Does Not Undercut Troop Morale

[Hissyspit]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/07/lute-morale

Lute: War Debate Does Not Undercut Troop Morale

Iraq war supporters have repeatedly claimed that U.S. troops are harmed when Congress debates alternatives to the Bush administration’s failed policies in Iraq. “Think about the message we have sent them,” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said recently. “We have undermined their efforts, lowered their morale, and clearly sent the wrong message.” Vice President Cheney said the war debate was “detrimental to our troops.”

Today, however, Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, President Bush’s proposed “war czar,” disregarded these claims.

“I don’t believe it undercuts their morale,” Lute told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing. U.S. soldiers “understand the democratic process,” he said, “and, in fact, that’s what we’ve sworn to protect and defend.”

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Lute is by no means alone in disagreeing with the administration’s rhetoric. In testimony before the House Armed services committee both Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Peter Pace and Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed arguments similar to Lute’s:

Pace: As long as this Congress continues to do what it has done, which is to provide the resources for the mission, the dialogue will be the dialogue, and the troops will feel supported.

Gates: I think they’re sophisticated enough to understand that that’s what the debate’s really about.

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LEVIN: Do you believe, General, that the debate that we’ve had in the Congress on amendments that call for troop reductions starting at a certain point or — that those debates undermine the troops?

LUTE: Senator, I know of no evidence of that.

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[Catch22Dem]

1. Good answer (n/t)

[Philosoraptor]

2. OOPS--is he supposed to say truthful stuff like that in public?

Did w hire the wrong mouthpiece/czar?

[DrDan]

3. well, I guess dead-eye will have to straighten him out

after all, what does this Lieutenant General know about the troops . . . it takes at least five deferments to get a good grip on things down in the trenches