"How can anyone who truly supports American troops and loves America, want to associate themselves with this type of behavior?"
I dunno. How can anyone who truly supports American troops send them to their deaths on cherrypicked info, in an unnecessary war, not give them the resources they need in the field, and ask them to serve 3-4 tours, only to abandon them when they return home?
You might want to ask the Democrat controlled Congress that question, after all, they debated the issue for 14 months and then gave their overwhelming approval. They had the same information as President Bush.
"The community of nations may see more and more of the very kind of threat Iraq poses now: a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction, ready to use them or provide them to terrorists. If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow."
-- Bill Clinton, President of the United States, 1998
"The hard fact is that so long as Saddam remains in power, he threatens the well-being of his people, the peace of his region, and the security of the world."
-- Bill Clinton, President of the United States
"The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi government - a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people. Bringing change in Baghdad will take time and effort. We will strengthen our engagement with the full range of Iraqi opposition forces and work with them effectively and prudently..."
-- Bill Clinton, President of the United States
"Heavy as they are, the costs of action must be weighed against the price of inaction. If Saddam defies the world and we fail to respond, we will face a far greater threat in the future. Saddam will strike again at his neighbors. He will make war on his own people."
-- Bill Clinton, President of the United States
"And mark my words, he will develop weapons of mass destruction. He will deploy them, and he will use them."
-- Bill Clinton, President of the United States speaking about Saddam Hussein
"Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors..."
-- Bill Clinton, President of the United States, December 16, 1998
"Because we're acting today, it is less likely that we will face these dangers in the future..."
-- Bill Clinton, President of the United States, December 16, 1998
If you want to argue about equipment, perhaps you should look at the previous administration and how they cut the military. You do not build a military over night. It takes years. President Bush went with the military he had. Who was it that is always trying to cut the military budget.
"They won't be able to continue. They won't be able to do the deployment. They won't have the equipment, they don't have the training and they won't be able to do the work. There's no question in my mind."
-- Rep. John Murtha responding to his efforts to defund the military's mission in Iraq
The Liberal Democrats in Congress. They are the ones that control the money to equip the military and take care of the veterans after they come home. The one thing that the Constitution requires the Federal Government to do is to maintain the military - not provide welfare benefits, free universal healthcare, or whatever free giveaway that is the flavor of the week.
The only people that want to cut the military are Liberals, the very same ones that bitch and complain about the military and those that unselfishly serve. They do not serve to gain respect from Liberals, as they know that Liberals will never respect what they do. Not that this is a secret. Liberals have always made their feelings known on the subject.