Want To "Support The Troops," Mr. Cheney? Try Taking The Insurgency Seriously

In an effort to shut down growing dissent over how badly things are going for our troops in Iraq, Vice President Dick Cheney said recently that the obviously-growing insurgency was in its "last throes." Since Cheney made this disingenuous comment on May 30, we have lost 74 men and women in our occupation of Iraq.

Their average age is only 26 -- 46 of them are age 25 or younger. While we bloggers typically like to keep things concise -- and, sadly, this list is long -- I thought you should know their names.

• Sgt. 1st Class Steven M. Langmack, 33, of Seattle, Wash
• Sgt. Miguel A. Ramos, 39, of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
• Spc. Phillip C. Edmundson, 22, of Wilson, N.C.
• Spc. Louis E. Niedermeier, 20, of Largo, Fla.
• Staff Sgt. Leroy E. Alexander, 27, of Dale City, Va.
• Cpt. Charles D. Robinson, 29, of Haddon Heights, N. J.
• Cpl. Antonio Mendoza, 21, of Santa Ana, Calif.
• Spc. Carrie L. French, 19, of Caldwell, Idaho
• Staff Sgt. Justin L. Vasquez, 26, of Manzanola, Colo.
• Spc. Eric J. Poelman, 21, of Racine, Wis.
• Pfc. Brian S. Ulbrich, 23, of Chapmanville, W. Va.
• Col. Theodore S. Westhusing, 44, of Dallas, Texas
• Spc. Brian M. Romines, 20, of Simpson, Ill.
• Lance Cpl. Jonathan L. Smith, 22, of Eva, Ala.
• Lance Cpl. Robert T. Mininger, 21, of Sellersville, Pa.
• Spc. Eric T. Burri, 21, of Wyoming, Mich.
• 1st Lt. Michael J. Fasnacht, 25, of Columbus, Ga.
• Lance Cpl. Marc L. Tucker, 24, of Pontotoc, Miss.
• Sgt. Michael J. Kelley, 26, of Scituate, Mass.
• Sgt. Roberto Arizola, Jr., 31, of Laredo, Texas
• Capt. Phillip T. Esposito, 30, of Suffern, N.Y.
• 1st Lt. Louis E. Allen, 34, of Milford, Pa.
• Lt. Col. Terrence K. Crowe, 44, of Grand Island, N.Y.
• Lance Cpl. Dustin V. Birch, 22, of Saint Anthony, Idaho
• Lance Cpl. Daniel Chavez, 20, of Seattle, Wash.
• Lance Cpl. Thomas O. Keeling, 23, of Strongsville, Ohio
• Lance Cpl. Devon P. Seymour, 21, of St. Louisville, Ohio
• Cpl. Brad D. Squires, 26, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio
• Staff Sgt. Mark O. Edwards, 40, of Unicoi, Tenn.
• Pfc. Douglas E. Kashmer, 27, of Sharon, Pa.
• Sgt. Larry R. Arnold Sr., 46, of Carriere, Miss.
• Spc. Terrance D. Lee Sr., 25, of Moss Point, Miss.
• Lance Cpl. Mario A. Castillo, 20, of Brownwood, Texas
• Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Kilpela, 22, of Fowerville, Mich.
• Spc. Casey Byers, 22, of Schleswig, Iowa
• Sgt. 1st Class Neil A. Prince, 35, of Baltimore, Md.
• Lance Cpl. John J. Mattek Jr., 24, of Stevens Point, Wis.
• Cpl. Stanley J. Lapinski, 35, of Las Vegas, Nev.
• Sgt. David J. Murray, 23, of Clinton, La.,
• Sgt. Larry R. Kuhns Jr., 24, of Austintown, Ohio.
• Spc. Anthony D. Kinslow, 21, of Westerville, Ohio.
• Pfc. Joshua P. Klinger, 21, from Easton, Pa.
• Lance Cpl. Jonathan R. Flores, 18, of San Antonio, Texas
• Cpl. Jesse Jaime, 22, of Henderson, Nev.
• Cpl. Tyler S. Trovillion, 23, of Richardson, Texas
• Lance Cpl. Dion M. Whitley, 21, of Los Angeles, Calif.
• Pfc. Michael R. Hayes, 29, of Morgantown, Ky.
• Sgt. Anthony G. Jones, 25, of Greenville, S.C.
• Petty Officer 2nd Class Cesar O. Baez, 37, of Pomona, Calif.
• Pfc. Nathan B. Clemons, 20, of Winchester, Tenn.
• Lance Cpl. Chad B. Maynard, 19, of Montrose, Colo.
• Spc. Anthony S. Cometa, 21, of Las Vegas, Nev.
• Lance Cpl. Erik R. Heldt, 26, of Hermann, Mo.
• Capt. John W. Maloney, 36, of Chicopee, Mass.
• Lance Cpl. Adam J. Crumpler, 19, from Charleston, W.Va.
• 1st Lt. Noah Harris, 23, of Ellijay, Ga.
• Cpl. William A. Long, 26, of Lilburn, Ga.
• Master Sgt. Robert M. Horrigan, 40, of Austin, Texas.
• Master Sgt. Michael L. McNulty, 36, of Knoxville, Tenn.
• Pfc. Christopher R. Kilpatrick, 18, of Columbus, Texas
• Spc. Nicholas R. Idalski, 23, of Crown Point, Ind.
• Spc. Christopher L. Hoskins, 21, of Danielson, Conn.
• Spc. Brian A. Vaughn, 23, of Pell City, Ala.
• Sgt. James D. Stewart, 29, of Chattanooga, Tenn.
• Sgt. Arnold Duplantier II, 26, of Sacramento, Calif.
• Sgt. Joseph M. Tackett, 22, of Whitehouse, Ky.
• Lance Cpl. Holly A. Charette, 21, from Cranston, R.I.
• Cpl. Carlos Pineda, 23, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Sgt. 1st Class Christopher W. Phelps, 39, of Louisville, Ky
• Pfc. Veashna Muy, 20, of Los Angeles, Calif.
• Cpl. Chad W. Powell, 22, of West Monroe, La.
• Spc. Charles A. Kaufman, 20, of Fairchild, Wis.
• Cpl. Ramona M. Valdez, 20, of Bronx, N.Y.
• Petty Officer 1st Class Regina R. Clark, 43, of Centralia, Wash.

Rather than making off-hand remarks to obscure how badly the Bush administration has botched this war – and the heavy toll we are paying as a result – Cheney would do better do stop the lying and figure out a way to bring this sorry chapter of our history to a close.

Resignation by he, Mr. Bush and Mr. Rumsfeld would be a good start.