Why the election in Iraq will keep troops from coming home

[spence]

Quite simply put, the President didn't have authority to wage war to create a democracy in the middle east. The Congressional authority was very narrow in scope for just this reason.

I completely understand the idiological justification for this war and I have a serious problem with it, not because Democracy is bad, but because the entire scheme is incredibly risky, poorly planned and was sold to the people in a completely unethical manner.

Today it is what it is and I hope for the best, but to remark that acts of heroisim by our troops (while remarkable in their own right) somehow validate the decisions made by the civilian leadership just doesn't make sense.

I'm not trying to undermine any sense of individual purpose, but rather ensure the decisions made to this point are kept in context. We didn't just arrive here randomly, and I don't want to see it happen again.

-spence