A shot across the White House bow

Re “GOP senator sponsoring Iraq withdrawal bill,” April 20

For Democrats, the war will be considered lost even if the terrorists proclaim tomorrow that they are giving up the fight and choosing to resort to more diplomatic means of achieving their ends. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s pronouncement that the war in Iraq is lost should not in any manner be perceived as an assessment that is bound to demoralize the troops. By now, American troops must have realized what a good segment of the American population already acknowledges, which is that Democrats are more interested in humiliating the president of the United States than in winning a war.

It’s a wonder it has taken Democrats this long to start coming out with the unvarnished truth of how they really feel about the Iraq war. Because they obviously know that we have already been defeated, the more pressing question is why not take the soldiers out right now instead of insisting on a withdrawal date months down the road, knowing full well -- at least according to their own assessment -- that more time spent there will only mean more American lives lost?

MIGUEL A. GUANIPA

Whitinsville, Mass.

*

I’m glad Reid finally admitted what most of us already know -- that the Iraq war is lost. Republicans have challenged the Democrats, saying that if Democrats really believe the war is lost, then they should cut off funding now. I agree. Why should we spend another $100 billion and waste more lives on a lost cause? Why should we put it off so that the next president has to clean up Bush’s mess?

The way I see it, Bush should consider himself lucky that the Democrats are offering some money with a timetable. I think if Bush vetoes the bill, then that should be the end of funding. This is Bush’s war. We should lose it while he is still president.

MARC PERKEL

San Bruno, Calif.