Republicans have consistently attempted to quiet criticism of their foreign policy by reminding the American people that our soldiers and enemies abroad will be aware of the debate taking place in the United States. I have three main problems with this, which I explain in the extended entry. The first two points have been touched on elsewhere before, but the third unfortunately seems to be going unnoticed.
First, as I am sure most people here agree, it is ludicrous to claim that our soldiers would be disheartened to hear that the American people have not forgotten about them and are concerned about each life that is lost. A vigorous debate here means that we take our soldiers' sacrifices and mission seriously.
Second, given that global access to news is permanent, the Republicans' argument would require essentially shutting down open discourse regarding our foreign policy. I am sure our soldiers do not fight to spread liberty abroad only to have liberty squelched in their names back home.
Third, the Republicans are either disingenuous when they caution that the troops and enemies are listening or are perfectly willing to undermine the war effort for political gain. I'll set aside for the moment the evidence that the Republicans are disingenuous (go here for a rundown of the GOP's public anti-war stance during Kosovo), and give them the benefit of the doubt by assuming that they really are concerned about the worldwide perception of America's commitment to military success. Why, then, would they deliberately mischaracterize Democrats' positions to make it appear that Democrats have conceded defeat? We at Daily Kos know very well what the leading Democrats are saying about Iraq, and it is nothing close to calling for outright retreat. The nonpartisan FactCheck.org has carefully examined the RNC's latest ad regarding Iraq and discovered that the GOP has quoted Democrats out of context to make it appear that Democrats are waving the white flag. While Democrats have advocated a responsible withdrawal designed to improve security by putting an Iraqi face on the peacekeeping effort, Republicans have knowingly distorted Democrats' positions in order to shield the President from criticism and play to their hawkish base. If our troops and enemies are getting the impression that Democrats are no longer committed to success in Iraq, they aren't getting it from the Democrats. They're getting it from the Republicans.