Weaver Blasts Blogger For years, people may have called her "mom," "sister" or "my wife," but now, the public calls her "mayor," "councilwoman," "judge" or "magistrate." Radcliff, KY- Col. Mike Weaver blasts web blogger and former Democratic strategist Mark Nickolas. Yesterday, Nickolas claimed Weaver could not be loyal to the Democratic Party because of his support of our troops' recent success in Iraq with the death of known terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his call for a strategy to exit Iraq instead of a specific calendar date. Weaver offered the following statement: "To question my patriotism, support of our troops and loyalty to the Democratic Party is appalling. To characterize me as being no different than this administration or Congressman Ron Lewis is absurd. There is a real difference. They say stay the course; I say change the course. They say support our troops; I say prove it. I have called on this administration, not simply for a date, but instead for a real plan to bring our troops home and return the Iraqi nation to the Iraqi people. I have also called on this administration to support our troops by supporting our veterans and I have strongly criticized Ron Lewis for being silent on the needs of our veterans at home. Today, I call on this former Democratic strategist to join with me and say that being pro-military doesn't mean being anti-Democratic. Anyone who believes that is playing into the hands of Republican propaganda and providing a serious disservice to our party. I believe that you can be a Democrat, support our troops, call for a real plan, and change the course of the Iraqi War. This President has made a mess in Iraq and now more than ever we need a plan, something this administration has failed to offer. The answer is not a phony date, but instead a Democratically controlled Congress. I take offense at the implication that I do not respect the liberal members of my party. While I did say is that there is a more liberal view, which I personally do not share, I am proud of my progressive support. I am proud to put to rest his concern and I look forward to the opportunity as a Congressman in the 2nd Congressional District to cast my vote for Democratic leaders who will ask the hard questions, demand the answers, and have the authority to get them. I look forward to the day of standing up to this misguided administration and their politics of dividing our country. While I do not ask you to change your opinion on public policy, I do say that Democrats, no matter your opinion of this administration or this war, need to be at the forefront supporting our troops and congratulating them on eliminating a key terror threat with the death of brutal terrorist. It is a huge advancement in the world of peace. Leadership means being honest, not political. Democratic leadership means celebrating our diversity of opinion. It is our diversity that drives the debate that leads us to change. This country's policy on war should not be dictated by political strategy. That is one of the biggest mistakes of this Republican Congress. It's not political, it's personal. Our party should not try and match political gains to win the American people's favor. Instead, we should demand a real plan to bring home our troops with real solutions to turn Iraq back over to the hands of its people. That's my strategy. It's not political, but it is Democratic."