Last month, I wrote about NJ-9 Congressman Steve Rothman's announcement that it's time to leave Iraq. This month, the Congressman is proving that he wasn't just blowing hot air.
Today, the President's favorite way of keeping the cost of the war in Iraq off the books was trotted out yet again - an "emergency" supplemental spending bill. Rothman stood and counted his vote against the measure. He released the following statement:
"With my vote against today's supplemental spending bill, I am telling the President that he cannot count on me to continue paying for his stay the course strategy in Iraq. We must withdraw all our troops within six months, returning most of them home and leaving a quick-reaction force in the region.
As a Congressman, I have supported every defense bill and every measure designed to give our military every resource it needs to succeed in its heroic mission. The bill we voted on tonight is designed to prop up the President's failed policy in Iraq, which has cost too many American lives, tarnished America's image abroad, nearly exhausted our military and taken our attention away from the War on Terrorism.
"While there are other worthy projects in this bill, they could have been voted on separately. The President has cynically chosen to dare members to vote against his strategy in Iraq by tying that money to Hurricane Relief and Darfur aid. I refuse to be limited by his unacceptable choices. There is a smarter course for this country than the President's."
While Senator Russ Feingold's attempt to censure President Bush is getting its share of play in the news-cycle, let's not forget that it is more than just a political maneuver. President Bush continues to risk American lives and waste American dollars on an ill-conceived and ill-executed plan for a war that did not have to be fought. Senator Feingold deserves the recognition and support of the netroots for his cause - but other Dems who show the courage of conviction to act against an unjustifiable outrage need to be recognized as well.
If that recognition convinces one more Congressional Democrat to step forward - then another and another - then we may make the dream of saving our soldiers a reality.
