Define "Support."

Just a quick post before I run out to softball. Jane at FDL has posted a letter from a CT Dem serving in Afghanistan:

As some readers may have heard, in January my battalion was issued substandard equipment for our deployment to Afghanistan. Originally, we were issued M-16s rather than M-4 carbines, rifles with shorter barrels and collapsible butt stocks. As a politcally active member of the battalion, I began to get in touch with Representative DeLauro and Representative Simmons, who both responded quickly and enthusiastically. Senator Dodd also responded quickly and gave me prompts on how to further validate my request for weapons.

However, I did not receive a response from Senator Lieberman’s office. I continued to leave messages for both him and his military aide, now senior counselor, Fred Downey, who reprsented Sen. Lieberman at the Battalion’s send off ceremony on Jan. 4. After several messages, I finally received a return phone call. However, I was not met with the same enthusiams expressed by other legislators; I was immediately confronted with an inquisition that seemed to have the purpose of dispelling the belief that the battalion was ill equipped. Rather than listen to our specific concerns, the “benefits” of the M16 were highlighted and teh advantages of the M4 were downplayed.

Lieberman’s office left the impression that they believed we had the equipment we needed, despite the contrasting beliefs of soldiers in my battalion, some who have been on as many as five deployments. The others in Washington were not so quick to abandon us…

Lieberman has never hesitated to voice his support for the war, and recently voted against pulling troops out of Iraq, so where was he when over 500 of his own constituents were being sent overseas to fight on behalf of his great country? It appears the senator was so concerned with climbing the political ladder, he forget what his job is really about: the people…

This letter highlights perfectly what infuriates me about the Republicans, and the message I want to see the Democratic Party shouting from the rooftops:

Supporting the war DOES NOT EQUAL supporting the troops. Opposing the war DOES NOT EQUAL opposing the troops.

You know what "supporting the troops" means? It means wanting them to have the best equipment and armor available, so they have a better chance of coming home in one piece. It means wanting to keep them out of harm's way unless absolutely necessary.

You know what "opposing the troops" means? It means shortchanging the soldiers in the field with inadequate equipment and armor, and the veterans back home with inadequate benefits and medical care. It means inflaming the Muslim world to ensure that the troops have enormous bullseyes on their backs whenever they venture out of their heavily shielded bases. It means keeping them in a dangerous war zone for no good reason, long after even the faintest chance of success has died.

I think yon letter-writer has made it very clear that he would happily trade all the war cheerleaders back home for a few hundred M-4 carbines.