The current Republican Party in power in Washington DC is wrong on many issues, as far as I'm concerned. And I have seriously considered sitting this election out and joining the ranks of the "Cut and Run Conservatives," a term coined by Rush Limbaugh on his popular radio show.

But then, I had a dream. More like a nightmare:

An American Soldier returns from Iraq for Christmas leave. And we have the occasion to meet. We exchange pleasantries, and I tell him how much I appreciate his service for our country and how much I support the troops and his mission.

And he says, "Thanks. But I have to tell you, me and all the guys, well, we've been pretty discouraged since the House changed hands in November.

"I mean, we felt like we're up to our elbows in sand spiders in unbelievable heat or bone-freezing cold, facing unthinkable violence every day, only to have our legs cut out from under us by our own countrymen back home. We volunteered, and we were winning, not that you would ever know it from the media here. We put our lives on the line every day and saw our buddies die so that Americans could live life, enjoy liberty and pursue happiness, and all we asked in return is that Americans use their vote.

"Instead, less than 40% of eligible voters could be bothered to get up off their duffs, drive to a local school in their neighborhood, without threats of violence or risks of running over IEDs or roadside bombs, and take a few minutes out of their selfish lives to exercise the privilege we've given up over a year of our lives to earn for them. That's pretty disgusting."

Then the American soldier says, "But at least YOU supported us. At least you did everything YOU could to make sure we had a Congress that would stand behind the troops. At least YOU voted, right?"

And this is where I see several different scenarios unfolding in my dream:

1. I say, "No, I didn't vote because Mark Foley sent some instant messages to a page and he's a homosexual, and...um..."

Didn't sound like that would work. So I try a different scenario:

2. "No, I didn't vote because I thought it was time to teach the Republicans a lesson. If they're going spend tax money like drunk Democrats, we might as well have drunk Democrats in there to ... do...um...the...ah...spending."

This soldier has risked his very life. I gotta do better'n that, so... ah-ha. Immigration:

3. I say, "No, I didn't vote because the Republicans wouldn't stand up and get control of our border and keep some terrorist with a dirty bomb from getting through."

Ah, that's better. That's the reason. That sounded pretty good.

Until my American soldier friend said, "So you let the party that wants to give amnesty to illegal immigrants win the election to teach the Republicans a lesson. Let me ask you: who do you think bears the brunt of the lesson you're trying to teach? Some fat politician sitting in Washington? Or the American soldiers in Iraq who are the only ones standing between some wild-eyed Islamo-fascist and your sorry hide? Thanks for the lesson, my friend. I really needed that."

So I tried again:

4. "Yes, I voted. There were a lot of things I didn't like about what the Republicans were doing in Washington. I think they've squandered a lot of opportunities and it seems like they're more concerned about what the liberal media thinks of them than getting the job done.

"But, I was in the Navy off the coast of Vietnam when a Democratic Congress started pulling the rug out from under us, so I know what that's like. I just couldn't let that happen again. So I voted to keep Congress squarely behind our troops, so I could look you in the eye and tell you I did what I could do. I voted."

Having said it, it didn't sound like very much. It didn't sound like very much at all. But he said "Thanks. That's all I wanted to hear."

Winston Churchill said "...democracy is the worst form of Government except all those others..." We can paraphrase that and say "The Republican Party is the absolute worst political party in the United States, except for the all those others."

If we sit at home, and don't vote, we cast our fate to the party that:

• Is against the Patriot Act.
• Is against instant wiretaps on calls from known terrorists to numbers in the US.
• Is against legal interrogations of terrorists who know of additional planned attacks on the US.
• Is against freezing terrorist funds.
• Is against letting our troops win the war in Iraq.
• Is against military tribunals to bring terrorists to justice.
• Is quick to jump to conclusions and criticize our troops before any facts are known.
  

In the final analysis, the Democratic Party and its leadership in Washington have stood firmly against every tool President Bush has tried to use to win the war on terror, and then, they've stood back and asked why the war is taking so long!

When the terrorists say that we don't have the stomach for casualties, they're talking about US. You and me. They're not talking about our troops. Our troops have everything they need for victory except enough countrymen back home who will let them finish the job.

Who knows what will happen in 2008. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But for now, I simply cannot imagine myself standing in front of an American soldier who has risked his life for me in Iraq and explaining to him why I didn't vote.

The LEAST I can do is vote.

The least YOU can do is vote.

Don't worry. We won't run over any roadside bombs on our way to the polls.

Bob Bridges
Molina CO