Sunday, August 20, 2006

2%

In the latest Pew Poll 2% of Americans say that terrorism is the number one issue of concern. That leaves 98% of Americans wanting to hear about something else from Congressional candidates -- like Education, Gas Prices, Healthcare, and Iraq. So why aren't Mick and Mary talking about these issues? (More importantly what are Cole, Sullivan, Lucas, and Istook doing about those issues?) Why are they beating the fear factor of terrorism? Maybe because they are out of the mainstream. They are on the lunatic fringe with the neo-cons who have worked for 40 years to divide America, to deceive Americans and to distort the truth. When will Cole, Sullivan, Lucas, and Istook find the moral center? They won't because they can't afford to leave their base and we can't afford for them to vote for us in Washington.

Vote Democratic in November. You DO have a choice - a new direction for America in DC or the status quo for America in DC? Vote Democratic for Congress.

1 comment:

Aticus88 said...

On June 16, 2006, OK-4 Congressman Tom Cole voted to pass a resolution “Stressing Importance of Iraq in Overall War on Terror.” In his own press release listed on his web site, Mr. Cole stated, “Next, what are our chances of success in Iraq? Frankly, I think they're very good for two reasons. First, obviously, the skill, the bravery, the professionalism of our own people … (b)ut second, … the Iraqi people themselves. … who in the great civil turmoil they are going through have fashioned a constitution and created a permanent government.”

Less than two months later, after his fifth trip to Iraq, Mr. Cole was quoted as saying that
forces in that country only have about six months to get on top of sectarian violence” and that “the strife between the Sunnis and the Shiites was tearing the country apart.” (Tulsa World, August 5, 2006.)

Mr. Cole continued that saying he, “rejected any suggestion that the U.S. send in more troops” and said, “U.S. forces had become more sophisticated in dealing with insurgents.”

Mr. Cole noted that, “I don't know what happens if it doesn't work … (t)he consequences for failure here are just tremendous." (Tulsa World, August 4, 2006)

As of August 21, 2005, over 3,000 Iraqi civilians per month are being killed, the US has sustained over 2,600 casualties and over 19,000 wounded, and the costs of the Iraq war as been over 308 billion dollars.

Where was the oversight Mr. Cole and his fellow Republican congressmen and senators were supposed to provide in the prosecution of this war? Who was watching the planning, monitoring the costs, and ensuring diplomacy to ensure peace after the topple of Saddam Hussein?

Bush’s Iraq War has lasted nearly as long as World War II. Mr. Cole and his fellow Republicans trusted President Bush without verifying that there would be success and that trust was misplaced.

We should not trust Mr. Cole with another term in Congress because his judgment has been faulty in the past and we cannot be assured that it will be less-faulty in the future.