Army recruits shortfall blamed on Iraq war critics - Yahoo! News
Operation "Blame the Liberals" is on. In today's episode, Senate Republicans attack the news media for making war seem "icky".

Gee, just imagine if the real pictures were being broadcast. The few bits I have seen on TV have been highly sanitized. Some of the pictures on the 'net would have people running for the john to throw up.

War is Hell, people. How is it that we forget that fact?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Several Senate Republicans denounced other lawmakers and the news media on Thursday for unfavorable depictions of the Iraq war and the Pentagon urged members of Congress to talk up military service to help ease a recruiting shortfall.

Families are discouraging young men and women from enlisting "because of all the negative media that's out there," Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, said at a U.S.Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

Inhofe also said that other senators' criticism of the war contributed to the propaganda of U.S. enemies. He did not name the senators.

Army Chief of Staff Peter Schoomaker urged members of Congress to use "your considerable influence to explain to the American people and to those that are influencers out there how important it is for our young people to serve this nation at a time like this."

The Army on Wednesday said it was 14 percent, or about 7,800 recruits, behind its year-to-date recruitment target even though it exceeded its monthly target in June. With extended deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, recruiting also is down for the National Guard and the Reserves.

"With the deluge of negative news that we get daily, it's just amazing to me that anybody would want to sign up," said Sen. Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican.

Facing flagging support for the Iraq war that has killed about 1,750 U.S. forces, President Bush in a speech on Tuesday acknowledged the nation's doubts about the strategy but insisted the operation was worthwhile and portrayed Iraq as a key battlefield against terrorists.

So, I guess the media is supposed to show rescued puppies and children with lollipops and smiling soldiers playing volleyball in the desert. Why, we'd win this war if the media would just stop telling the truth, right? Just ignore the stories of Marines being blown up by roadside bombs. Don't publicize the sacrifice in your hometown when Johnnie comes home in a coffin. Just bury those stories, and we could have lots more Johnnies and Julies eager to sign on up.

Right.

Blame the media because war is ugly. Good show, Senators.