Monday marked the four-year anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. I remember it quite well.

I had spent that St. Patrick’s Day bopping around to various pubs in the Poway area watching President Bush’s speech giving Saddam the 24-hour ultimatum and writing down the reactions from the drinkers. The bar fell completely silent during the speech even though it was a day for drinking.

Later that night I met up with another reporter at the office to compile our notes, make a few phone calls and write the story. Probably my favorite interview of the night was with Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is now running for president (and actually came in third in some polls over the weekend).

I reached him on his cell phone as he was in a Washington bar celebrating the holiday. He had met with Bush earlier that day, and relayed what he described as a somber, yet determined president. The other reporter was on the phone with the head of the North County Democratic club, and we produced a pretty good reaction story on deadline and got it in the paper before the bombs started to drop.

When they did, I was with my best friend — who was visiting from Chico — at my house. We both decided that if we were talk radio hosts (something I still want to do), we’d start the day’s show with the Gap Band as bumper music. You know, “You dropped a bomb on me…”

Four years later, I worry that we’re losing our determination. In fact, I know that we have. While I’m confident Bush won’t let our fickleness cause us to turn our backs in Iraq, his new tone is a bit bothersome. Maybe he’s getting tired after four-plus years of war.

Even more bothersome, though, is the way the new Democratic leadership is acting. By continuing to introduce these foolish resolutions that are either binding or not they are keeping the focus on the politics in Washington, diverting our attention from our troops on the ground and the progress in Baghdad (more on that in a minute).

First, if they’re going to be against the war, then poo or get off the pot. I want to spew chunks every time I hear Hillary or Obama or Pelosi or any of them talk about supporting the troops while demanding we leave Iraq. I’ve spoken with many Marines from Camp Pendleton, and they don’t want to leave, apart from the everlasting desire to be at home. They want to win.

The truth is, the Democrats don’t care about winning at this point. They care about embarrassing the president. Just look at the bills they’re presenting (and thankfully they don’t have the votes).

In the latest version, which sets an Aug. 31, 2008 deadline to leave, they have packed it with pork to lure congressmen on the fence with pet projects for their districts. We’re back to the earmarks, folks. You know, those items our legislators slip into bills to pay back their financial backers or, in our former congressman’s case, acquire bribes.

And let’s look at that Aug. 31, 2008 deadline. When the president announced the surge, he set a benchmark of THIS November to assess progress. If things aren’t getting better, we will begin forcing the Iraqis to take over. Even so, every indication is that this will work. We’ve got the general who wrote the book on counterinsurgency in charge now, and he’s going to get results.

The truth is, the surge appears to be working. Folks who read any number of non-mainstream news sources (Drudge had it a few weeks ago), already knew that. But it hit the broadcast networks just these past few days. And not all of the surged troops are there yet. In fact, Iraqi bloggers on the ground say they admire the courage and steadfastness of the troops in Baghdad, and report that things are getting better.

What’s more, a new poll released this week — that largest poll of Iraqis taken to date — shows they believe things are getting better. Nearly three-quarters of those polled do not, read that again: DO NOT, believe the country is engaged in a civil war. Nearly half say life is better now, and 70 percent say they want the country to remain united.

All of that underscores Gen. Abizaid’s testimony to Congress earlier this year that he doesn’t feel despair until he comes to Washington.

Another thing to note in the poll, while a vast majority would like to see the U.S. occupation come to end (DUH!), 65 percent don’t yet want U.S. troops to leave.

So what do we do now? We hang tough. We mourn and honor the dead, continue to honor and support those still there and we move ahead. Things are getting better, slowly. It’s dishonorable and disgusting to use the war, and our troops, as a political football.

If you’re antiwar in general, I guess I understand your ignorance. If you were always against this war, I understand that. If you’ve changed your mind, I get it — this hasn’t been an easy war (are any of them?). But we’re there now.

Let’s win it.