MONTGOMERY - On June 23rd, President Barack Obama replaced General Stanley McChrystal as the commanding general on the ground with General David Petraeus, the architect and chief implementer of the successful surge strategy in Iraq. Despite the switch in on-the-ground command, no proposed change was made in American strategy to defeat the Taliban and buttress the fledgling government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Marine Corps veteran and 2nd District Congressional candidate Rick Barber believes that a greater change is needed than a General officer swap.

"General Petraeus performed brilliantly in Iraq. When Democrats like Harry Reid were saying that the war was lost, Petraeus proved them wrong.  But General Petraeus wasn't the only difference.

The quintessential difference between Petraeus and the Iraq surge and Petraeus in Afghanistan is the political will behind each. For all of his faults, President George W. Bush was unwavering in his support of the forces and the mission in Iraq. He would not commit to a withdrawal deadline, and he did not tie our soldiers hands in the field.

I'm delighted that a general as capable as David Petraeus is commanding American forces in Iraq, but without the political will of the American president behind him, Petraeus cannot succeed. For General Patraeus and America to prevail in Afghanistan, Barack Obama must discard his hopes for a withdrawal next year. President Obama must let our troops fight. Lastly, President Obama must start speaking about the war in terms of victory.

With a stated withdrawal date, our enemies grow brave and plan ahead. With our soldiers' hands tied through unreasonable rules of engagement, our enemies grow brave and shoot first. With an American president "uncomfortable with the notion of victory" (as Obama has stated in the past) our enemies will make sure that we are comfortable with defeat.

If Barack Obama does not change his dithering rhetoric and policy while American soldiers are in harm's way, we can be sure that we will see more American soldiers dead and no hope for victory, and the swapping of McChrystal for Petraeus will be a cosmetic change, not a practical one.