Lies And Web-Video

As I sat down this morning, to drink my morning coffee and read the morning news and watch the Sunday morning political talk shows a report on CNN caught my attention. I must warn my readers that I am about to bend my rules on having a non-biased opinion.

Democratic Reps. Chet Edwards (Texas) and John Spratt (S.C.) have called on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to pull down a controversial web video that uses images of flag-draped coffins and a grave of a fallen soldier. These two Democrats sent letters to DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Illinois) asking him to remove the video, "America Needs a New Direction," from its website after Republicans accused Democrats of trying to gain politically from the pictures. Emanuel urged political supporters in a fundraising e-mail sent Tuesday to view the video on the DCCC's website.

The video has raised new questions about how the Iraq war can be discussed in the November elections. Democrats acknowledge, privately, that Spratt and Edwards must condemn the video because they represent Republican districts. Edwards Waco-based district, re-elected him in 2004 by a 51 percent to 47 percent margin. Edwards is favored to win re-election again this year, but his GOP opponent Van Taylor is an Iraq war veteran and he is trying to capitalize on the DCCC video. In South Carolina, Spratt is also coming under fire from his GOP opponent, state Rep. Ralph Norman.

The question is how does images of flag-draped coffins and a grave of a fallen soldier become so offensive for politics? The media shows such images and in our recent holiday celebrations such images were used as remembrances of the cost of freedom. If a political party or particular candidate displays such images to reinforce a position on policy this should be allowed, least it be forgotten that our Commander-in-Chief, who as a politician, staged an elaborate celebration on an American aircraft carrier to conclude military operations in Iraq three years ago.