Yes. Beautiful.

This comes to us by way of The Gadflyer's Fly Trap, and boy has it made my day. First of all, it warms my heart in a big way to see all of the good work coming out of the New Yorker lately; with Hersh's reporting alone (without which we'd still be in the dark about Abu Ghraib), they've re-earned their stature and continue to do so during this dark period in American history. But of course, more essential to salviging democracy here at home, there is the content. As a compliment to the 26 retired diplomats and military officials calling for the removal of Bush from the White House, we now have word of the Donkeys in the Desert.

In late April, a group of Americans serving in Iraq sent a letter to John Kerry, appealing to the candidate as both an ex-soldier and a peace seeker. It read, in part, “Put bluntly: we believe you need to get over here, suck in some sand and sweat a bit in the desert heat while talking to, among others, U.S. soldiers, Iraqi technocrats, Coalition officials, private sector reconstruction contractors, and tribal leaders. Perhaps only then will you begin to get a real sense of the real Iraq, for Iraq cannot be understood from the halls of Washington or via briefing papers alone.” The letter concluded, “As our next Commander-in-Chief, the sooner you get over here, the better,” and it was signed, “Donkeys in the Desert.”

Something I just don't understand, though:

In addition to the Kerry letter (to which the candidate has not yet responded), the group also published a mission statement, of sorts, in the Overseas Democrat, the newsletter of Democrats Abroad, an official Party organization representing some six million American expatriates.

What could be the justification for ignoring this group? I'm sure Kerry has his reasons, I'd hope so, but I, for one, think a visit to these troops, all of the troops, is very much in order. Especially given such as this:

“There’s a misperception that if you’re in the military you’re going to vote Republican,” Weston went on. “But in the Army there are a lot of rinos: Republicans in Name Only. I think there’s frustration from a lot of reservists, whose terms of service keep being extended.”

Kerry should go. In his stead as a United States Senator, he has every right and, I'd argue, a duty to do so, especially given his candidacy and, I must point out, his culpability for their presence in Iraq in the first place. Suck in some sand and sweat a bit in the desert heat indeed. Go John. Go.

It's a very good, brief piece. I encourage y'all to go check it out. And of course, share it with everyone you know.