it may not matter to you when our military personnel come home; in fact it probably helps your election chances for this conflict to wear on; but for many people it matters a great deal.
It matters to the 11,000 soldiers who are being held for, in some cases, years after their original separation date because we can’t recruit enough replacements. They were told recently the policy will not change soon and the numbers will probably grow. It matters to their wives and children, their parent and their friends.
It matters to the thousands of Reserve and Guard soldiers who are serving their second and third 15 month tours away from their families, struggling to keep homes and businesses going on a third or a quarter of their usual income.
It matters to people like my grandson who was medically discharged after a Humvee wreck in his 11 month in Iraq. He wishes some of the 12 billion dollars a month being poured in Iraq was being used to grow jobs where he lives in Arkansas and other depressed areas. He is barely able to support his family.
And lastly you said what really matters is the casualties to American troops. Can you honestly tell the American people you think the casualties will stop in the next year or two or three? Maybe they will drop to 100 a year or 75 a year but in 60 years the deaths have not stopped in Israel and I don’t think they will in Iraq either. And if it is one American soldier a year it will matter to someone. A wife or a mother or child but it will matter Mr. McCain; to someone other than you.

The grim milestone came at a time when attacks against the U.S. military are ebbing and officials have claimed significant progress against Iraq's deadly insurgency and sectarian violence. It was reached about 10 p.m. on a day when more than 60 Iraqis were killed and dozens injured in attacks in Baghdad and north of the capital.

Nearly 30,000 US troops have been wounded in the Iraq conflict.

Will they be "drawing down" the troops as indicated earlier? Or, do they need all 160,000 to keep the "peace" in Iraq? I'm sorry to say, but it is an election year.

Harry, third in line to the British throne, has been serving on the front line with an army unit in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province since mid-December.

...

British officials had hoped to keep Prince Harry's deployment secret until he had safely returned, but they released video of him serving in Helmand Province after the leak appeared on the Drudge Report.

The ministry deplored the leak by "elements of the foreign media."

...

The deployment plan had been disclosed to reporters, with no specific date, but was not reported previously because of an agreement between the Ministry of Defense and all major news organizations operating in Britain, including The Associated Press. The news blackout was intended to reduce the risk to the prince and his regiment.

Such bravery for this young man. It would be almost unheard of, in this day and age, to have the child of the leader of the United States to go into harms way as did Prince Harry. Instead, our press has to report the deployment and put him and his unit in harms way.

What's going wrong? US military deaths in the Iraq War are creeping back up again. There were 38 US military deaths in October, 2007, 37 in November, then 23 in December. Now, in January, 2008, 39 of our military have been killed as a result of the Iraq War.

It appears there may be a problem. It appears that a "surge" is not the end, similar to the Mission Accomplished statement. It appears that Bush is planning on a long term battle for the oil.

In fact, the administration is sending strong signals that reductions in Iraq will slow or stop altogether this summer, jeopardizing hopes of relieving the strain on the Army and Marine Corps and reviving debate over an open-ended U.S. commitment in the country.

Poland is committed to withdrawing their troops (all 900 of them) by October. Is there even a coalition any more?

The extra 30,000 troops sent to Iraq, bringing the total number to around 160,000, slowed down the military fatalities in Iraq. It's a good thing since 2007 was the deadliest year for US troops (901) in Iraq.

There were 24 coalition deaths in the Iraq war in December, 2007, 23 US soldiers and 1 UK soldier. There have been over 3,900 US fatalities and over 28,600 US soldiers wounded fighting in Iraq since 2003.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is hoping to discontinue the surge by bringing 30,000 troops out of Iraq by July, 2008. Will he? Can he? Is it safe? Will it ever be safe?

This isn't getting enough press. As seen at KnoxViews, the military doesn't really Support the Troops.

The military is desperate for new troops, so desperate they are promising larger and larger signing bonuses. They send the troops to fight. The troops get hurt and cannot finish their service. The troops lose the remainder of the signing bonus.

Do they tell the troops when signing them up they could lose the bonus if they are injured in combat? Do they tell the troops the odds of getting hurt in combat?

In a new ad, John Edwards "threatens" Congress.

But if you don't pass universal health care by July of 2009 — in six months — I'm going to use my power as president to take your health care away from you.

Harry Reid "threatens" the President.

If Bush vetoes the bill, "then the president won't get his $50 billion," Reid, D-Nev., told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference.

Yahoo (AP) headlines are beginning to rival the local newspaper and cable news. Who's afraid? I'd guess not Congress or the President.

With nearly two months left in the year, 2007 is on course to be the deadliest year on record for American forces in Iraq, despite a recent sharp drop in U.S. deaths.

Iraq Coalition Casualties

2003 - 486
2004 - 849
2005 - 846
2006 - 822
2007 - 846 ...

Lest we forget in the midst of drought, water shortages, horrendous fires in CA, high gas prices, unaffordable health care, housing crisis, mortgage woes, there is a war going on in the Middle East.