What newspapers said about the Iraq speech

With debate in the House on the Iraq War ending, let's take a look at the print coverage of Congressman Jerry McNerney's speech on the House floor, as each newspaper covered somewhat different aspects of his remarks.

Here are the highlights, in semi-chronological order:

The Fresno Bee:

Freshman Rep. Jerry McNerney, the Pleasanton Democrat whose district includes southern San Joaquin County, kicked things off Tuesday night.

"I'm saddened because the misguided and mismanaged conflict has become a tragic disaster and a genuine threat to Middle East stability and global security," McNerney said.

The Associated Press:

Others suggested they were influenced by the experiences of relatives who've been to the front lines.

"When I talk about supporting our troops, it is not rhetorical, it is personal," said freshman Rep. Gerald McNerney, D-Calif., an opponent of Bush's plan. McNerney's son, Michael, joined the Air Force after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and became a munitions officer. He is a captain in the Air Force Reserve.

The Lodi News-Sentinel:

While McNerney emphasized his opposition to Bush's plan to add more than 20,000 troops in Iraq, he addressed his support for the troops. He noted that he has a personal as well as a political interest because his son enlisted in the armed forces.

"The young men and women who joined the Armed Forces after 9/11 out of a sense of duty and love for our country are just like my son, Michael, who joined the military because of those terrible attacks," McNerney said. "I'm proud and heartened by their commitment to service and patriotism, just as I am of my own son's commitment.

"And I'm concerned about their safety and well being, just as I was about Michael's when he was in the service," McNerney said. "When I talk about supporting the troops, it's not rhetorical; it's personal."

And, finally, the Contra Costa Times with the Congressman's take on the resolution itself:

"The resolution is a good first step," said Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton. "We need to get something out there that Congress can agree on and show the president where we stand. The nonbinding resolution won't have the effect of getting the troops out of Iraq, true, but we first need to establish our framework for debate."

Of course, newspapers weren't the only source of discussion about Congressman McNerney's speech. You chimed in as well, with over 30 comments on Jerry's Blog.