Gertz reports that the Dems are “hurting morale” in Iraq:
Marine Corps Cpl. David Goldich, a University of Virginia graduate who spent two tours of duty in Iraq, says Democratic attacks on the war undermined troop morale. Cpl. Goldich, who returned from Anbar province in November after about 300 combat patrols, stated in a candid account that negative comments by Democrats had “a dramatic effect on morale, especially on troops who are otherwise indifferent and disdainful of politics in general.” “I cannot tell you how many times I have overheard Marines and soldiers talking about various inconsiderate comments made from the likes of [Sen.] John Kerry [Massachusetts Democrat], [Rep. John P.] Murtha [Pennsylvania Democrat], [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid [Nevada Democrat], and [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi [California Democrat] about how we cannot win, how we should be brought home, etc.,” he said.
Dissent may be patriotic, but defeatism isn’t. The Marines I know are almost uniformly apolitical–they beat it out of them at OCS and Basic. But nobody likes to be told they can’t do their job, and their job is to win. Of course, the Marines have done just that. They’re stationed almost exclusively in Anbar, where al Qaeda has been routed and the insurgency quelled–there have been just four Coalition casualties in Anbar in the last three months. I’m sure they’d appreciate a pat on the back from the leadership in Congress, but they shouldn’t hold their breath.
