What Would You Say to the Newly Elected President?

SIMPLE....PRESIDENT DECLARES THE WAR THEN STEPS BACK AND LETS THE GENERALS RUN IT. DO NOT MAKE ANY WAR POLITICAL. GO TO WIN AND NOTHING ELSE

Agreed, if you aren't going to do what's necessary to win, don't get involved. Be Brutal, bloody, and chaotic. I remember an interview with a Russian ambassador during the Iran Hostage debacle in the Carter Administration. The Russian was asked why the Iranians attacked the US Embassy, his answer, "they are crazy", when asked why they don't bother the Russian Embassy, his answer "they aren't THAT crazy". I read somewhere and it may be an urban style myth, that when the Russians caught a terrorist that remove his entire bloodline. If true, that apparently worked to a great extant.
You may dislike their form of Government, but you have to admire the respect and feat they put into their enemies.

SSG William Egan - It's the Congress's job to "declare war." That's our biggest problem as a nation for the last 70 years - not since WWII has the Constitution been followed in this respect. All we ever have are UN actions (Korea), "police actions" (Vietnam), "security missions", etc. Neither Gulf War has actually been a Constitutionally declared war!! The Congress needs to MAN(WOMAN) UP and do their job. If they can't get consensus, then quit making the military sacrifice it's blood and treasure to "fix" the world's political messes.

If they make a decision to go to war??? Congress is the only one who makes that decision. And Congress needs to re-assert their authority to declare war.

That is true, only Congress has the power to formally declare war. The last time that happened was World War II. Since that time, there have been six major military engagements that were authorized by Congress; these include the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War (Desert Storm), and the recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. There have been seven military engagements authorized by UN Security Council Resolutions and funded by the US Congress; these include the Korean War and various peacekeeping missions.

In 1973, due to the concerns held by Congress of their eroding authority over the committing of US military forces to overseas conflicts, namely the Korean and Vietnam wars, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution overriding President Nixon’s veto in the process. This has been the law governing our international military involvement ever since. The President can commit forces to military actions but must notify Congress within 48 hours of doing so and the forces cannot engage in such actions for longer than 60 days (plus a 30-day period to withdraw) unless specifically authorized by Congress through joint resolution or a formal declaration of war.

So I’d say that past Congressional actions show your concerns are not yours alone. Additionally, anyone who served in the conflicts/wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan would most likely say those were wars whether declared formally by Congress or not. Therefore, the President having the authority to commit US forces to engage in military engagements (with or without Congressional approval), (s)he does indeed make decisions regarding whether we go to “war” or not and my point still stands.

Damn Sir. You must have been reading my mind. Since you grabbed mine I'd say to either "Step down you don't deserve this"

Maj John Bell Roger that!