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Gifts for all occasions in the Galleria! The "What is the Deal?" Deal-of-the-Week: Mrs Fields Valentine’s Gifts For Her January 30, 2005 What is the Deal with Ted Kennedy part II? By Jan A. Larson Sorry to say, it appears that Senator Ted Kennedy did not heed the advice that I offered in a recent column. He did not retire to the Kennedy compound and he did not avoid the microphones. To make matters worse, in his latest harangue at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, the Senator gave encouragement to American's enemy in the war against terrorism. Senator Kennedy compared the war in Iraq to the war in Vietnam. He pointed out that by 1965, the United States had suffered as many casualties as suffered to this point in Iraq. He said that "we lost our national purpose in Vietnam" and that "we continued the war too long." He went on to say, "that our presence was creating new enemies and defeating the very goals we set out to achieve. We cannot allow history to repeat itself in Iraq." Maybe the Senator had one too many drinks before his speech, but apparently he forgot that we lost the war in Vietnam and millions of people paid for that loss with their lives. If the Senator had his way, a repeat of Vietnam in Iraq is exactly what would happen and it wouldn't be just Iraqis losing their lives. Kennedy, as well as other staunch anti-war advocates, can't see beyond their noses to understand either the short-term or long-term consequences of that position. Kennedy and others continue to harp on the reasons for going to war in the first place. No matter how many times Kennedy and his ilk like to repeat it, the President did not "lie" about WMDs and, while Kennedy may have indeed resorted to such tactics had the situation been reversed, the President did not concoct the war for political purposes. Kennedy is a classic Monday-morning quarterback. He can sit in his cushy Senate seat or speak to an audience of left-wing lapdogs and rattle off a litany of mistakes made in Iraq - some real, some only in the addled mind of the Senator himself. No matter how we got into Iraq, what mistakes may or may not have been made, it is time to "move on," to borrow a phrase from the Clinton administration. We are in Iraq and we are in a war - a war that must be won - not another Vietnam where America can throw in the towel and say to heck with the Iraqis. This is about a lot more than simply bringing democracy to Iraq and it cannot be played out like a movie script, where each step is planned and performed in sequence. Kennedy acknowledged that America must assist - but not control - the new Iraqi government, but how can that assistance be accomplished without an American presence on the ground? The Senator suggested that the United Nations, not the United States should provide advice on establishing a government and drafting a constitution. The United Nations has already cut-and-run from Iraq once. Why does anyone think the United Nations would provide anything more than lip service on Iraq from their plush New York offices? Senator Kennedy suggested that the terrorist insurgents could somehow be convinced to "use the ballot, not the bullet." Kennedy must be living in a dream world since it is clear that he simply doesn't understand the goals of the enemy. Their aim isn't to live in peace in a democratic Iraq. Anyone who thinks so is a fool. The goal of the terrorists in Iraq is to eliminate the western way of life. Make no mistake; we are in a life-and-death struggle in Iraq. Senator Kennedy doesn't get it. Kennedy said that the President should announce a timetable for drawing down American presence in Iraq. Why not just supply the terrorists with some more ammunition while we're at it too, Senator? Such a timetable would only indicate to the terrorists of how long they have to hang on before Iraq becomes Al Qaedastan. Kennedy went on with a number of ludicrous proposals. He called for putting a United Nations stabilization force in Iraq. The United Nations couldn't secure an accounting department. He said we should train an Iraqi security force. Ummm ... Senator ... that has been going on for quite some time now. Can't you put down the scotch long enough to pay attention? Finally, the Senator repeated a well-worn phrase from the Vietnam error - bring our troops home with honor. That is one thing with which I can agree with the Senator, but we cannot bring home our troops with honor until the job is done. Once again, the Senator has opened his mouth and inserted his foot. Come to think of it, maybe the Senator would make more sense if he actually did put his foot in his mouth before he started speaking. -- Send feedback to the author. The "What is the Deal?" column will appears weekly on the Pie of Knowledge website. Guest submissions are welcome and encouraged. 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