Sen.Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., was a co-sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 9, which failed by Senate vote on March 13. The resolution was nonbinding and had absolutely no force of law. The most salient portion of the resolution was Section 2b, stating, "Commencement of Phased Redeployment From Iraq - The President shall commence the phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this joint resolution, with the goal of redeploying, by March 31, 2008, all United States combat forces from Iraq except for a limited number that are essential for the following purposes …"

First of all, why support a bill that actually does nothing? Second, why in the world would you ever agree to surrender (withdrawing without victory) when thousands have given their lives bringing freedom to the Iraqi people? Third, how can we not realize that the enemy is watching our cowardly legislators and can see victory over the United States on the horizon?

How ever people want to characterize it, the votes of Dorgan and Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., will be very pleasing to the criminals who are making Iraq be awash in innocent blood. It is only logical that the enemies of freedom see this vote as affirmation of their strategy of the slow bleed by killing a few Americans and Iraqis by isolated acts of terrorism eventually sap the will of America to win. This vote can only give hope to those monstrous criminals of eventually prevailing. Their will to fight because they may win is strengthened, which logically will result in America's sons and daughters and freedom-loving Iraqis dying due to this renewed hope for insurgent victory. This is a vote that American service men and women are outraged about, but cannot speak of publicly.

Vietnam has been evaluated as a war that was lost not by the military but by the meddling of posturing politicians who cared more about rhetoric and political gamesmanship than victory.

When you are in a war and you do not win - you lose. Is that so hard to understand? North Dakota's senators, by voting to support the worthless, nonbinding Senate Joint Resolution 9 will do nothing but encourage our enemies, undermine our soldiers and thereby put sons and daughters of North Dakota in deadly harm's way.

Our senators have voted to expedite America's defeat. This is just plain disgusting, stupid, dangerous and cowardly.