Congress cannot run a war

Can a public body as large and divisive as the U. S. Congress run a war? We don’t think so.

But that appears to be what Congress is trying to do with efforts to stop the increase in troop strength in Iraq.

Our efforts there are designed to help elected officials proceed to create a living democracy that will help put an end to violence by terrorists and other groups that threaten the world.

Perhaps Congress can regulate the amount of money it appropriates for such a war but it is nonsensical to think that it can decide on the strategy needed to win. How many troops from our armed services should be sent there to do the job is a decision that only a leader can logically make. And that leader in this case is the administration.

If we are to carry out the job of trying to make the Mid-East a safer place where terrorism that can invade our shores is not born, then we must have one leader deciding how to do it. We can’t stop the battle in the middle of action to debate and vote on how many troops to send in.

Congress let the President and people know on which side its majority stands. Now it should step aside and let the President run our side of the conflict. It’s a one-man job if we want any sort of success in the effort.