Use the Power of the Purse message from Russ Feingold

[rodeodance]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Russ Feingold, U.S. Senator" <[e-mail]>
Date: Thursday, January 11, 2007 11:36 am
Subject: Use the Power of the Purse
To: xxxxx

> Dear xxxxx
>
> I wanted to take a moment to pass along the op-ed I wrote in
> this morning's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel responding to the
> President's speech last night. Now, more than ever, we need to
> change our course in Iraq, and I hope you'll ask your
> friends to join me in co-sponsoring my resolution
> co-sponsoring my resolution to redeploy our troops.
>
>
> ----------------------------------------
> Use the power of the purse
>
> By RUSS FEINGOLD
>
> Keeping our brave troops in Iraq indefinitely is having a
> devastating impact on our national security and military
> readiness.
>
> That's why I have consistently advocated that we set a timetable
> to redeploy our troops from Iraq. But the president refuses to
> set a timetable, even though the American people soundly
> rejected his Iraq policy in November. Instead, the president has
> announced he wants to send approximately 20,000 more troops.
>
> We should be redeploying our troops out of Iraq, not sending in
> more.
>
> Conditions in Iraq are deteriorating, the strain on our military
> is increasing and the threats we face to our national security
> elsewhere in the world continue to grow. We can't afford to wait
> any longer. Congress must use its main power - the power of the
> purse - to put an end to our involvement in the war in Iraq.
>
> Over the next several weeks, I am going to take a hard look at
> just how we should do that in my capacity as a member of the
> Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, both of which
> will be holding hearings on Iraq.
>
> As the president made clear Wednesday night, he has no intention
> of redeploying our troops from Iraq. Congress cannot continue to
> accept this. Congress can, by restricting funding for this
> misguided war, do what the president refuses to do - redeploy
> from Iraq to refocus on defeating global terrorist networks.
>
> Some will claim that cutting off funding for the war would
> endanger our brave troops on the ground. Not true. The safety of
> our service men and women in Iraq is paramount, and we can and
> should end funding for the war without putting our troops in
> further danger.
>
> Congress will continue to give our troops the resources and
> support they need, but by, for example, specifying a time after
> which funding for the war would end, it can give the president
> the time needed to redeploy troops safely from Iraq.
>
> Our troops in Iraq have done their job professionally and
> heroically. But we cannot continue to send our nation's best
> into a war that was started - and is still maintained - on false
> pretenses. An indefinite presence of U.S. military personnel in
> Iraq will not fix that country's political problems. And sending
> more troops will not provide the stability that can only come
> from a political agreement.
>
> Our country needs a new national security strategy that starts
> with a redeployment from Iraq so we can focus on the global
> threats to our national security that have only grown while this
> administration has been bogged down in that country.
>
> We need to finish the job in Afghanistan and address threats to
> our security in Somalia and other weak or failed states that we
> have neglected for too long. We should scrap the failed
> diplomacy the administration has used to offend, push away and
> ultimately alienate so many of our friends and allies, while we
> also repair and infuse new capabilities and strength into our
> armed forces.
>
> Keeping massive numbers of American troops in Iraq indefinitely
> is not the way to defeat global terrorist networks. We will
> continue to weaken, not strengthen, our national security by
> continuing to pour a disproportionate level of our military and
> intelligence and fiscal resources into Iraq.
>
> In the November elections, the American people made it clear
> that they want our troops out of Iraq, and it is up to Congress
> to respond. Our top national security priority must be to defeat
> the global terrorist networks operating in countries around the
> world. With Wednesday's announcement that he seeks to escalate
> the Iraq war, the president made it clear that he will continue
> to shortchange that global fight and to ignore the will of the
> American people.
>
> From the beginning, this war has been a mistake, and the
> policies that have carried it out have been a failure. Congress
> must not allow the president to continue or escalate a war that
> has already come at such a terrible cost.
>
> It's time for Congress to use the power of the purse to end this
> devastating war and finally bring American troops out of Iraq.
> ----------------------------------------
>
> Once again, thank you for co-sponsoring and I hope you'll consider <A
> href="asking your
> friends to do so as well. As always, thank you for your support.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Russ Feingold
> United States Senator
> Honorary Chair, Progressive Patriots Fund
>
> Click below to Click
> here to ask your friends to sign Russ's petition
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> ->
> --------------------------------------------------
> Authorized and Paid for by the Progressive Patriots Fund
>
> Daniel D. Hannula, Superior, WI Treasurer
>
> --------------------------------------------------
>-> ***********************************
>

[DearAbby]

1. Done..in a heartbeat. Thank you Senator

:kick: K&R

[helderheid]

2. DONE! Recommended!

Thank you for taking action on Russ's Resolution to Redeploy Our
Troops Out of Iraq on behalf of Progressive Patriots Fund.

I hope you'll consider making a contribution to help our efforts
to promote a sensible foreign policy in the future by going to
http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/contribute

Thank you once again for your support.

Sincerely,
Russ Feingold
U.S. Senator