Confirmed By Top Uniformed Officer: George W. Bush is Bleeding the Guard

Comments made by a senior uniformed officer about National Guard shortages are just further evidence that the war in Iraq has left America less secure.

Yesterday, Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, speaking in front of National Guard commanders said the National Guard has only 50 percent of what it needs to respond to disasters at home, because half of its equipment and many of its personnel are fighting George W. Bush's war in Iraq.

"Our problem right now is that our equipment is at an all-time low," said Blum. "We have the most skilled, trained and full forces we've ever had, but our equipment is not where it needs to be."

This, of course, isn't really news to those of us who bother to pay attention. VoteVets.org, since its inception, has been saying that we cannot, and should not, bleed our National Guard or Reserves to continue to stay the course in Iraq. Already, this year, the drain on Kansas' National Guard rendered the state unable to adequately respond to destructive tornadoes.

How many warnings will it take before the Bush administration and chickenhawks recognize that the war in Iraq has placed our national security in severe jeopardy? It is not a matter of whether we will be hit by another Katrina or terrorist attack, the question is when.

George W. Bush is mortgaging our security and readiness with his failed policy, and it is only a matter of time before those chickens come home to roost. We need to get serious about getting out of the Iraqi religious civil war so we can protect our own people.

Imagine Greensburg, Kansas times 5000. That's what we're going to have to deal with at some point, and George W. Bush has placed us in a position of weakness when it comes to responding to such a disaster, because of Iraq.

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