** RINO ALERT **

Would someone from the great state of Nebraska please tell me what's going on here?

Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican In Name Only from Nebraska, has really never liked the US presence in Iraq. He's never really supported President Bush. He sound more like a Democrat than a Republican.

According to CNN.com:

Hagel: Iraq growing more like Vietnam
Friday, August 19, 2005 Posted: 0335 GMT (1135 HKT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska on Thursday said the United States is "getting more and more bogged down" in Iraq and stood by his comments that the White House is disconnected from reality and losing the war.

The longer U.S. forces remain in Iraq, he said, the more it begins to resemble the Vietnam war.

Huh?

Surely you would think a US Senator would have some grasp of the facts of both the current liberation of Iraq as well as the history of Vietnam. But since he doesn't appear to do so then this simple country boy will help him out a bit:

IRAQ
--The war has been going on for 2 1/2 years.
--The government was overthrown, Saddam Hussein is sitting in prison.
--Control was handed over to the new Iraqi government early, elections were held and a new Constitution is being drawn up.
--We won.
--In 2 1/2 years, there have been just under 2,000 casualties...1,861.
--The war is being fought with an all-volunteer force.

VIETNAM
--The conflict lasted, depending on how you look at it, 10-20 years.
--The ultimate result was the fall of South Vietnam to the communists.
--We left before victory could be achieved, as JimK says. (thanks quicksilver!)
--There were some 58,000 casualties.
--The war was fought with the presence of a draft.