US troops support antiwar candidates

President Bush and other proponents of the war in Iraq have constantly tried to send the message that the members of the military support their plan to “stay the course” in Iraq until they achieve “victory.”  If US troops’ contributions to presidential candidates are any sign, however, they are looking for a Commander in Chief who will start bringing the troops home:

Individuals in the Army, Navy and Air Force made those branches of the armed services among the top contributors in the 4th Quarter, ranking No. 13, No. 18 and No. 21, respectively. In 2007, Republican Ron Paul, who opposes U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, was the top recipient of money from donors in the military, collecting at least $212,000 from them. Barack Obama, another war opponent, was second with about $94,000.

The people who need to carry out the war in Iraq clearly think, along with the majority of the American public, that we need a drastic change in US policy, including a withdrawal from Iraq. This election year is a critical time for opponents of the war to aggressively redefine “supporting our troops,” and make sure candidates know that voters expect them to set a firm deadline to withdraw all US troops from Iraq.