Let’s leave beside the question of whether or not Iraq was the right war. During the 2008 presidential election, President Obama said we needed to pull out of Iraq so that we can double down on a “war of necessity” (as he termed it) in Afghanistan.

Instead, the President and his foreign policy team have been locked in a multi-month prolonged period of indecision. Meanwhile, precious time has slipped away that could have been used to develop the security needed to make political progress in the country — the strategy employed by Secretary Gates that worked in Iraq.

On Sunday, David Broder — one of the longtime political journalists at the Washington Post — opened the floodgates of question about this lack of decisiveness by the President.

The more President Obama examines our options in Afghanistan, the less he likes the choices he sees. But, as the old saying goes, to govern is to choose — and he has stretched the internal debate to the breaking point.

The cost of indecision is growing every day. Americans, our allies who have contributed their own troops to the struggle against al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and the Afghans and their government are waiting impatiently, while the challenge is getting worse.

…The president, notwithstanding his earlier rhetoric and actions, has hesitated to resolve the issue. Obama needs to remember what Clark Clifford, one of Harry Truman’s closest advisers, said: that the president “believed that even a wrong decision was better than no decision at all.”

…Meantime, events in Afghanistan support McChrystal’s prediction that delay in expanding the U.S. troop commitment will almost certainly lead to gains for the Taliban and greater risk for U.S. and allied troops.

…Given all of this, I don’t see how Obama can refuse to back up the commander he picked and the strategy he is recommending. It may not work if the country truly is ungovernable. But I think we have to gamble that security will bring political progress — as it has done in Iraq.

Obama did not believe that could happen there. But given what he inherited, and given what he has done so far, I think he has no choice but to play out that hand. If we can’t afford to lose, then play to win.

What do you think? Is the President simply trying to make a thorough decision, or is he “dithering” as Broder and others have said? Can we afford to lose in Afghanistan?

I’m behind in updating you all on the efforts to help “A Soldier in Need” which I first blogged about back on October 5. In a nutshell, Jimmy Katches contracted Lyme Disease while in the United States Army but the Veteran’s Administration denied medical treatment. So we decided as a community to step up and help.

A great friend here in Colfax, Stephanie Gargan, scheduled a fundraiser at the local community center. Many of us posted about this on blogs, Facebook and Twitter. And the response was amazing! You might say “some gave…even more retweeted!”

The total amount raised for Jimmy’s treatment was $20,000, which I’m told by his wife Kristi will get them at least 18 months of treatment with antibiotics and a PICC line — which has every potential of curing the Lyme Disease permanently. In addition, both Sutter Health and Dr. Jared Thomas stepped up some free treatment, so this family has an amazing chance to put this health issue behind them.

I know none of these folks gave for personal recognition, but it’s appropriate to thank them here:

• Cindy Burtt
• Samuel Carstenson
• Mark Chesner
• Christine Grabyan
• Dave and Aimee Rohrer
• Rebecca Sadler
• Dr. Jared Thomas (free medical care)
• Meredith Turney
• 2 Anonymous Donors (I know who you are, and thank you again!)

To me, this is a little picture of what makes America great. Not sitting around and waiting for a government 3,000 miles away to do something, but a community of people stepping up to help their brother or sister in need. That’s exactly what we were all privileged to do with the Katches family, and thank you for being a part of it.

I’m just downright speechless about the response you all have given to the post about “A Soldier in Need” that originally appeared here on the blog nine days ago on October 5.

When we last updated you on our progress on October 9, we had raised $430 and set a goal of $750 by the time the fundraiser arrived on October 17.

Well, thanks to each and every one of you, you certainly blew that away!

We’ve now raised an amazing total of $1,780 to help Jimmy Katches with his medical expenses, along with the offer of some free medical treatment as well. That’s incredible!

There are three days left until the fundraiser for Jimmy. If anyone else wants to join this incredible gift to a family who is so thankful for the support from their community — there’s still a few days to do so.

Just use PayPal to send your donation to ak@aaronklein.com — and every penny will go to this family for their medical expenses.

I know that none of these folks have donated for the purpose of recognition, but they deserve our thanks, and here they are:

• Cindy Burtt
• Samuel Carstenson
• Mark Chesner
• Christine Grabyan
• Dave and Aimee Rohrer
• Rebecca Sadler
• Dr. Jared Thomas (free medical care)
• Meredith Turney
• 2 Anonymous Donors (I know who you are, and thank you again!)

Again, we’ll be updating the blog with our thanks to the donors all the way through the fundraiser next week. Whether it’s sending a few dollars yourself, or retweeting this post on to your own friends on Twitter or Facebook, I know this “soldier in need” and his family is very grateful for your help.

So keep spreading the word: only 3 days left before the fundraiser!

Since I first posted A Soldier in Need, readers of this blog have generously helped in so many ways. They’ve retweeted and reposted the story, and five of you have now generously made donations totaling $430! (Plus, some free medical treatment!)

Our special thanks go to:

• Samuel Carstenson
• Christine Grabyan
• Rebecca Sadler
• Dr. Jared Thomas (free medical care)
• Meredith Turney
• 1 Anonymous Donor

Can we keep the bandwagon rolling for the Katches family? We’ve got just a few more days left before the fundraiser, and it would be awesome if we could hit $750 by then. If we can keep up the rate we’re going, we can totally make that goal!

Just use PayPal to send your donation to ak@aaronklein.com — and every penny will go to this family for their medical expenses.

We’ll be updating the blog with our thanks to the donors all the way through the fundraiser next week. Whether it’s sending a few dollars yourself, or retweeting this post on to your own friends on Twitter or Facebook, I know this “soldier in need” and his family is very grateful for your help.

A member of the Sierra College family is grieving today over the loss of Sergeant Joshua Hardt. If you haven’t heard the story, a single unit based out of Fort Carson in Colorado suffered the loss of eight American heroes in a firefight in Afghanistan.

Sergeant Hardt was the son-in-law of this college leader. Because I haven’t spoken directly with this person, I’ll refrain from publishing that leader’s name, but our hearts are heavy today for this wonderful colleague and the extraordinary grief the family is experiencing.

Here’s a quote from the story:

The Pentagon announcement Wednesday confirmed their worst fears — the eight American soldiers killed in a bloody weekend attack in Afghanistan were all from a single Fort Carson unit.

One of them was Sgt. Joshua M. Hardt, 24, of Applegate, which is along Interstate 80 in Placer County between Auburn and Colfax.

Hardt was a graduate of Placer High School in Auburn and played football there, according to the Auburn Journal.

“They were attacked, the unit fought bravely, and in the end, they won the day,” said Maj. Daniel Chandler, the rear detachment commander for the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. “The brave soldiers that we lost and all of the comrades that were left there, there were a lot of heroes on that day,” he said.

Hundreds of insurgents armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades attacked the soldiers at two U.S. outposts in Nuristan province Saturday, causing one of the highest U.S. death tolls in Afghanistan in a single battle in more than a year.

We owe a great deal of gratitude to these brave American heroes who are fighting to protect our country and preserve our freedoms. Our hearts go out to Sergeant Hardt’s family — we are all immensely proud of this local hero’s service and sacrifice.

» Read the News Story

The response to yesterday’s post about Jimmy Katches has been pretty tremendous. A variety of friends have retweeted the post, a doctor in Roseville commented offering some free treatment…

…and this morning, Christine Grabyan is the first donor to this cause. She’s a relative of my friend Josh Morgan, and found this blog through his blog. Thanks, Christine! (And thanks, Josh!)

You can be the second! Just use PayPal to send your donation to ak@aaronklein.com — and every penny will go to the Katches for their medical expenses.

I know the readers of this blog are spread far and wide, but there’s a cause I hope I can convince you to contribute a few dollars to, right here in my own backyard.

Jimmy Katches is a graduate of Colfax High School here in my hometown, and we’ve been friends for a number of years. He and his wife Kristi have two kids, 6 and 1. Jimmy’s only major flaw is that he’s a Lakers fan. Can you not hold that against him while you read the rest of this post?

Jimmy contracted Lyme Disease while in the Army and was given a medical discharge in August 2004. I’ll quote the flyer for the rest of the story…

Since then, he has visited doctors and specialists, paying out-of-pocket for tests and treatments. At the same time, with his health failing, he has been unable to work full time due to the disease.

In 2005, the VA denied compensation for treatment; the VA denied him again in 2006. In December 2007, the VA declared him 100% disabled due to Lyme Disease, and come compensation and treatment was provided for a short time. Later, the diagnosis and treatment were denied.

Since May of 2009, Jimmy has not been able to work, and during the last three months, his condition has grown worse. Four months ago, he could climb ladders and walk without help, and now he is partially using a walker or wheelchair. Jimmy and Kristi recently told their story on Channel 40 News.

It’s our hope that the Veterans Administration accepts its responsibility to those who have served in the armed forces and covers the expensive treatments that Jimmy needs with antibiotics, but with his health worsening, there isn’t time to waste — so we’re stepping up to do this ourselves. (Kudos to Stephanie Gargan for organizing this!)

Here’s what I’m hoping that readers of this blog will do.

First, if you’re in the Auburn-Colfax area, come and join us for food, music and a silent auction supporting Jimmy on October 17 from 5PM to 9PM. The event will be at Sierra Vista Center, 55 School Street in Colfax, and tickets are just $20.

Second, I know everyone is busy and most can’t make it to a fundraiser. If you can’t, could you make a small donation? I’ll make it really easy for you — use PayPal to send your donation to ak@aaronklein.com — whether it’s $50 or $5, every little bit helps!

I’m going to pay whatever PayPal transaction fees there are and every penny will go to the Katches family for their medical expenses. To keep track of our progress, I’ll also post your name and the total amount we’ve raised here on the blog.

There are two choices when you face a situation like this: sit around and wait for the government to take care of you, or do something yourself. It’s great when those who support our American heroes in uniform can come together and help those in need. I hope you’ll join me in doing that for Jimmy and Kristi Katches.

Update 10/7: Over $100 Raised, 3 Donors

Our special thanks go to:

• Christine Grabyan
• Dr. Jared Thomas (free medical care)
• Meredith Turney
• 1 Anonymous Donor

Can you help us build on this progress for the Katches? Just use PayPal to send your donation to ak@aaronklein.com — and every penny will go to this family for their medical expenses.

I still remember where I was. You likely do as well.

I woke up, checked my BlackBerry and saw a WSJ news alert that a “small plane” (that’s what they thought at the time) had crashed into the World Trade Center.

They weren’t saying terrorism yet. Not that I guessed it, but I thought…”that’s weird.” I flipped on the Today show and moments later saw the second plane fly over and crash into the second tower.

Everybody knew what was happening then.

Then the Pentagon was hit. Then the bravery of Todd Beamer and Mark Bingham saved either the Capitol or the White House, we’ll never really know. Remember the Secret Service flying the President around the country in serpentine fashion — from Florida to Washington by way of Louisiana and Nebraska. Nobody knew what was next.

In the eight years since, my how the world has changed. Our men and women in uniform are still fighting a determined enemy in Afghanistan where this began. We fought another war — a much more controversial one — but one that did bring freedom to millions in the middle east at a great cost.

Despite all of our current challenges, I think we have much to be grateful for in the United States of America. Today, don’t forget to remember the heroes of 9/11 and our men and women in uniform around the world. We owe them a lot.

Photo Credit: 911Photos.com

Wherever you are today, make sure to stop and remember those who have made this the land of the free, and the home of the brave. We owe them a lot.

This weekend, we remember those who have given their lives to protect our freedom. Make sure you thank a veteran for their service this weekend. We owe them a lot.