After Republicans criticized a nonbinding House resolution to condemn President Bush’s war plan, saying it will “embolden” our enemies, an internal Republican memo was released by House Democrats. The memo urged fellow Republicans to stand strong in their conviction over the necessity of fighting in Iraq, but to avoid discussing the specifics of Bush’s actual plan. “The debate should not be about the surge or its details. This debate should not even be about the Iraq war to date, mistakes that have been made, or whether we can, or cannot, win militarily. If we let Democrats force us into a debate on the surge or the current situation in Iraq, we lose,” read an excerpt from the letter.

The letter, intended for Republican eyes only, was written by Arizona Republican Rep. John Shadegg and Michigan Republican Rep. Peter Hoekstra. Proving that the GOP cares more about saving face than saving lives, the memo called for real discussion to be sidetracked with fear-mongering tactics over “the global threat of the radical Islamist movement.”

Republicans did indeed seem to run with the suggestions of the letter. House Minority Leader John Boehner said that a withdrawal from Iraq would “jeopardize the safety of Americans tomorrow and for decades to come.” All 435 House members have been offered the chance to speak for five minutes on the president’s “surge” policy. As expected, Republicans have danced around the issue with their allotted time. California Democrat Tom Lantos said, “We are not fighting against terrorism in Iraq. We are attempting to referee a religiously based civil war, which saps our strength.” A vote on the nonbinding resolution is scheduled for today.

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