Criticizing Bush = Putting Troops at Risk?

Apparently this equation is the Republican tactic these days. Right Mr. DeLay? The real problem is that people eat this up. If a Republican leader like DeLay says that the Democrats put troops at risk when the criticize the war, you better believe that it's repeated at home, at work and in local editorial pages by faithful right-wingers everywhere. It reinforces this sad idea that any criticism of America or its leaders is unpatriotic, when infact it is because Democrats do love this country and its principles that they speak up.

It seems to me that what has really put our troops at risk was starting this war without real international support, allowing (or ordering) troops to torture Iraqi prisoners, and not having any concept of the people or culture that we invaded. But maybe I'm putting troops at risk by pointing all this out.