The foolish Republicans and spineless Democrats have abdicated their responsibility to safeguard our country from ones who would march us into the abyss of unending war and totalitarianism.

The majority of Americans want this war in Iraq ended, but as our casualties mount higher every week, this administration will give us more SPIN on how the surge is working.

Mr. Bush insists that as commander in chief, he has the constitutional power to decide when to end it unilaterally. He also is rattling sabers as he is considering a military assault on Iran without Congress declaring war first.

Congress has refused to insist on enforcement of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution since WWII. This spells out that Congress, not the president, shall have the power to declare war. This has allowed presidents eager to wage war to start wars in Vietnam and elsewhere without a declaration by Congress.

Congress and Democrats in particular must make clear that it is Mr. Bush and his cabal of cretins who is keeping the war in Iraq from ending. I am sure that the president will resist enforcement of any withdrawal plan until his miserable failure of a presidential term is ended.

I don’t think the congress has the guts to pull the plug on this war until Mr. Bush and his pit bull Dick Cheney leave office. They have stacked the courts with neo-conservative judges who would support this current neo-conservative agenda.

WE MUST INSIST our candidates for president and our congressional leaders assure us that they will not allow this lapse to result in further unilateral acts of war against Iran, Pakistan or any other nation by this president or any other.

 Our leaders must make it clear that in the future, Congress will insist on compliance with Article I, Section 8 for any military action that is not truly deemed an unexpected emergency.

Our government has permitted this fundamental and costly constitutional transgression to persist for more than four years. This must never again be allowed to happen.