“The message from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker is that there’s no end in sight for the war in Iraq.  That’s not good enough. The troops have done their job and done it well. But, there’s been almost no political progress in Iraq and we just keep pouring our troops and money into it.

“Bear in mind, Iraq is running a budget surplus while our economy is suffering. We’re spending $339 million a day in Iraq and the government in Iraq isn’t even helping itself. It’s difficult to spend that and not have success. With $339 million we could put more than 2,000 agents on our borders for a year. We could vaccinate 317,000 children. We could provide more than 2.5 million Americans access to medical and dental care at community health centers.

“The American people want a new direction in Iraq, not 100 more years of war. We need a plan for withdrawal.”

– Rep. Charlie Wilson

Wilson has voted for a troop pullout before,  but his anti-war feelings seem to have strenghtened since last year.

“Those brave men and women who selflessly answered the call to serve our country deserve every accommodation we can provide, and the President’s veto does not meet that standard. To say that I am disappointed that the President delayed this much-deserved compensation is an understatement.”

– Rep. Zack Space

During yesterday’s roll call vote on the Iraq War funding bill tied to troop withdrawals Dennis Kucinich voted against it.  Once again we have a case of a bill not going far enough for Kucinich. Seriously the man needs to learn that even a small step in the right direction is better than nothing. 

His primary opponent, Rosemary Palmer, gets this.  She’s put out at another press release slamming Kucinich for is his inability to work well with others.  She’s also announced a press conference (which is open to the public) where she will announce her ” non-partisan plan” to bring our troops home from Iraq.

Also from the Palmer campaign comes yet another witty video:

“Setting a date certain gives Iraqis the incentive to work on things for themselves and to meet some benchmarks.”

– Rep. Charlie Wilson

This isn’t the first time Wilson has voted for a new direction on Iraq, but it’s good to know he’s sticking with that decision.

You can find the full roll call vote here.

“So many Americans are giving up so much to help the brave men and women who answered the call to serve. I am calling upon everyone across Southeastern Ohio to join me in saying thank you.”

“I chose to participate in the Hero Miles program because it is my small way of providing some comfort to our injured soldiers and their families during their recovery from the injuries received in the defense of our country. This will help our injured heroes by having their families with them as they start down the road to recovery.”

– Rep. Zack Space

The “Hero Miles” program accepts donations of frequent flier miles from the public and then uses them to buy tickets to unite injured veterans with their families. AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, and US Airways all participate in the program.

Space’s donation consisted of 29,000 miles.

Update – 11:13 AM 11/9/2007

Zack Space has also written a column about the importance of remembering and taking care of our veterans. You can read it by clicking “Continue Reading”.

Honoring Those Who Served

As we gather to honor American heroes on Veterans Day, I believe it is important for us all to make an effort to show our appreciation for those who have served this country. I am the product of a long line of veterans, and I know the sacrifice that service members and their families make to keep this country free.

We should all pause to say “thank you.” I plan to spend the upcoming weekend attending events to honor veterans and personally thank as many of them as possible. I have also donated my airline frequent flier miles to the Hero Miles program, which helps unite injured soldiers with their families anywhere in the world to assist with their recoveries.

For the sake of the men and women who fought for our security and our freedom, I encourage all of you to participate in Veterans Day activities, contribute to a veterans charity, or donate your time. So many Americans are giving up so much to help the brave men and women who answered the call to serve.

I chose to participate in the Hero Miles program because it is my small way of providing some comfort to our injured soldiers and their families during their recovery from the injuries received in the defense of our country. This will help our injured heroes by having their families with them as they start down the road to recovery.

Since 2003, the Hero Miles program has purchased over 12,000 plane tickets for either injured soldiers or their families and close friends. Donated by the general public, these frequent flyer miles have saved bereaved families over $15 million. Those interested in donating miles can read more about the program at the Fisher House website located at http://www.fisherhouse.org/

I would also like to take this opportunity to inform you of the great work Congress has been doing on behalf of veterans.

To assist veterans and their families in transitioning back into civilian life, I introduced a bill, which was passed by Congress this week that will make it easier for our nation’s service members, veterans, and their families to qualify for tax credits to purchase homes. Without the passage of this legislation, these provisions would have expired at the end of this year.

This week, the House passed the conference version of the Military Construction and VA funding package which includes a total of $109.2 billion for veterans’ affairs and military construction programs. This is the largest increase in VA funding in the 77 years the VA has been in existence. I encourage my Senate colleagues to get this to the President as soon as possible to ensure veterans receive the funding they deserve.

Please know that as a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am proud to advocate for the needs of veterans, and I am committed to doing everything possible to ensure that our veterans receive the care that they were promised and that they deserve. There is no better time to renew our commitment to honoring their service than on Veterans Day.

Congressman Zack Space

“All I can say is that it was used in the Spanish Inquisition, it was used in Pol Pot’s genocide in Cambodia, and there are reports that it is being used against Buddhist monks today,” Mr. McCain, who spent more than five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, said in a telephone interview.

Of presidential candidates like Mr. Giuliani, who say that they are unsure whether waterboarding is torture, Mr. McCain said: “They should know what it is. It is not a complicated procedure. It is torture.”

I’ve been absolutely disgusted over all this debate over whether or not it’s right for the United States to torture people. In my mind the only question is whether those who allow torture to happen should be tried here or just sent straight to The Hague.

I could go on forever listing why torture is wrong but, for me at least, the strongest argument is this: if we’re willing to sacrifice our decency and founding beliefs of our country in an effort to “protect” it than there is nothing left worth protecting. At that point we are no better than those we’re fighting.

But then, why should my opinion matter when people already refuse to listen to someone that’s experienced torture firsthand and says it isn’t worth it?

Source: McCain on Giuliani and waterboarding – The New York Times – MSNBC.com