McConnell: Let Petraeus Speak

“We needed a new and realistic strategy to succeed, and we got one. The president proposed, and a Democratic-led Senate unanimously confirmed, General David Petraeus on January 26 to carry out a new plan aimed at protecting the population in and around Baghdad, beating back Al Qaeda, and training Iraqi forces to defend Iraq on their own. The new plan would take time and patience. We had no guarantees it would work. But General Petraeus assured us of one thing. In testimony delivered just before his Senate confirmation, he said this: I will provide Multinational Force Iraq the best leadership and direction I can muster; I will work to ensure unity of effort with the ambassador and our Iraqi and coalition partners; and I will provide my bosses and you with forthright, professional military advice with respect to the missions given to Multinational Force Iraq and the situation on the ground. “‘And if he should determine that this new strategy cannot succeed,’ he said, ‘he would provide such an assessment.’… “…General Petraeus has compiled an astounding record of service. He has spent four of them deployed away from home and away from his family, with nearly three years service in Iraq. Let me say that again: three years of service in Iraq…. “The Democratic Majority sent him into battle by a unanimous vote, funded his mission, and asked him to report back on progress. And when he returns, is he greeted with the respect and appreciation his service deserves? No. He’s attacked again, at home, by some of the very Democratic senators who confirmed him. “They’re following the lead of the left-wing groups that placed a full-page ad in today’s New York Times, questioning the character of a four-star general who has the respect and admiration of the more than 150,000 brave men and women serving under his command. These childish tactics are an insult to everyone fighting for our freedom in Iraq, and they should be condemned.

As many have noted this morning, MoveOn.org’s latest outrageous act is an attempt to call into question the reputation and character of General Petraeus even before he testifies in front of Congress. As the Brookings Institution’s Michael O’Hanlon writes today, “General Petraeus is a straight shooter.” Like the men he commands, he is risking his life to protect our freedoms here at home. We should not prejudge him or his testimony, or give him anything less than the full respect he deserves. Democrats must make a choice. Will they embrace these deplorable tactics or give General Petraeus a fair hearing? It should be the hope of all Americans that we give him a fair hearing. Certainly, he and our men and women in Iraq deserve it. In the coming days and weeks, there will be much debate about the future course in Iraq, but this debate should be free of the kind of shameful tactics MoveOn.org has shown today. It’s time we heard from the generals, not Washington politicians and not ultra-liberal advocacy groups. All Americans should keep an open mind.