U.S. Senate: Start Bringing U.S. Troops Home

Item: U.S. Senate OKs withdrawal legislation /Jonathan Weisman, Washington Post

Sen. Ted Kennedy , D-Mass: “It is time to end the loss of American lives and to begin to bring our soldiers home.”

Sen. Larry Craig , R-Idaho: “A time table for withdrawal from Iraq without establishing a stable environment in which the Iraqi government can function sends a direct message to our enemies that America does not have the resolve to defeat terrorist networks around the world. For too long, Democrat Administrations viewed the Middle East as ‘stable’ as long as there wasn’t too much violence. They turned away from the atrocities and dictatorships that instigated the terrorist movement and incubated their hatred of liberty. Terrorists brought this war to the United States and those terrorist groups are fighting us in Iraq. Now, terrorists are pressuring us to leave Iraq by murdering innocent Iraqis. America doesn’t negotiate with terrorists. Unfortunately, Democrats are meeting their demands to declare defeat and withdraw. ( Full statement here . )

Question (for the tweeners, not the ideologues): Is it time to bring the troops home?