Staying the Course

you got it exactly right...are we at war with Islam or Terrorism? Terrorism is a tactic, used by extreme elements within Islam. The weaker we appear, the more people within the faith of Islam will come to the conclusion that the extremists are right and join them. Islam is not yet the enemy, but as long as we appear indecisive and weak, we will encourage Islam in its drift towards that extremist strain that has existed as you state for centuries.
Too bad as you conclude, for Democrats and some weakening Republicans, its all about politics. It is sad to me that an entire party is unable to see a picture bigger than politics. I read your Biography, and I too started life in a Democrat family. my Parents began to shift rightward in 1979, when they saw Carter inept in the face of the Iranian clerics. Isn't it sad that he and his party still don't understand the enemy they face?