From Jerry: "After the Iraq vote: A time for courage, vigilance and action"

This is a time for courage.

This morning, you woke up to the unfortunate news that a "compromise" bill was passed in Congress last night giving President Bush a blank check to continue waging the war in Iraq.

As you may know, this supplemental funding bill did not include:

1. Enforceable benchmarks.

2. A reasonable timetable for withdrawal.

3. Any requirement to initiate a diplomatic strategy to end this conflict (a primary recommendation of the Iraq Study Group).

4. Provisions to ensure that our soldiers are prepared, rested, and ready to wage this war as safely as possible until it is brought to an end.

Without these fundamentally important conditions, I could not vote for this bill. With a heavy heart, I voted "No" because I cannot, in good conscience, grant President Bush another blank check.

Beyond my insistence on the necessity for diplomacy and the proper care and protection for our troops and veterans, I have consistently called for real benchmarks and a reasonable redeployment timetable. This bill provided neither. That's why it was a blank check to the President.

This is a time for vigilance.

While you may be disappointed, as am I, in the failure of this legislation to hold President Bush accountable and move in a new direction in Iraq, I also believe now is the time to recommit ourselves to our community's resolve to end this conflict as soon as possible and as responsibly as possible.

We owe it to the men and women, the sons and daughters, the brothers and sisters, the fathers and mothers who are laying their lives on the line every day, halfway around the world.

Last night, by voting "No" on this historic bill, I exercised the solemn power you helped give me by electing me to Congress. Now, I want to encourage you to exercise your power to make a profound difference yet again.

This is a time for action.

On Memorial Day, I will be emailing you with a very important request -- a request that I know will have a deep impact on the very people who are willing to sacrifice their lives in service to our country.

Please open the email you receive from me on Memorial Day (or when you return from the holiday weekend) and, together, let's do something truly significant to contribute to the healing of our nation.

Thank you, again, for everything you continue to do.

P.S. If you would like to express your opinion on my vote against the Iraq supplemental funding bill, please post a comment on my blog. I really enjoy hearing your feedback, so please consider sharing your thoughts with me and our community by clicking this link. I will be sure to read your comments when I return to our district this weekend. 

Comments

[Neferetiti]

How can we send congrats when things are worse and there is no end to the spiral in sight? It seems similar to paying a CEO a huge bonus for mismanaging a corporation. This war was bulit on lies, it drains our resources and kills our military people and the Iraqui citizens. It needs to end rather than escalate. We have a CEO president out of control and elected congressional representatives who are ineffective in restoring civil liberties or a balance in government.

[Ray Lozano]

Come on! Stop the insanity! Let's stop pretending that passing these funding bills is somehow beneficial for our troops. The only people who are benfitting from the continual funding pipeline are DICK Cheney, his buddies at Haliburton and the private mercenary armie's in Iraq. It's time for Congress to start acting like they've got a pair and "JUST SAY NO!!!" Everytime George W. Vietnam-Dodger Bush asks for money for Iraq, "JUST SAY NO!!!" What's so hard about that? The VAST majority of American's want our troops brought home. Congress needs to get their rears in gear and stop pandering to the cameras, television networks and the few, crazy gun-toting Americans who would gladly sacrafice their own mothers to support this war. WE put you there Mr. McNerney. Thanks for voting "NO", but moral victories are not enough. Bring our men and women home now! Let the Iraqi's run their own country. As long as we are there to do all the hard work, what incentive do the Iraqi's have to get off their duff's? Absolutely none. Iraq is a joke and we've already sacrificed way more American lives and money than we should have. "Stand up so we can stand down?" I'd like to see the Iraqi's just plain SIT UP! It's over. The fat lady has sung.

[Sally Woodard Sheridan]

Thank you for your courage. It must have been very difficult. You did the right thing. Stay strong. It is going to take us a long while to get out of the tragic mess we have made in Iraq. This is a step in the right direction. As disappointed as I am in the Dem leadership, I have to believe they had some reason to cave in. I am not losing faith that the people in this country are finally coming out of their coma.

[Peter Bowen]

Jerry,
I'm out of the country and didn't know how you voted. I feared you may have buckeled under the pressure and was prepared to be angry. It may have been a tough call. Now, I know what kind of man was elected.

The insanity has to be stop.

Thank you.

[Steve Evangelou]

Jerry,
I have asked Democratic leaders why the party could not again pass a bill that includes a timetable. They could defend it with a simple statement: "We'll continue to pass a funding bill that requires the president to start bringing the troops home. If he vetoes the bill, he is the one who is cutting off funding."
Still, it's a sign of progress that many members of Congress voted, as you did, against continuing Bush's disaster in Iraq.

[George Reid]

Congrats on displaying integrity with your vote against funding the escalation of the Iraq War/Occupation. The Republicans invoked the tired excuse of 911 to keep expanding the Iraq War; but if that is true why not move the troops from Iraq to Afghanistan (or the Pakistan border) and capture Osama bin Laden??
Jerry, I suggest that every day you or someone in Congress enter into the record the number of days that Osama bin Laden has avoided capture since the attacks of 911. Bush/Cheny & Co. have done a poor job on national security.
Americans sent a message loud and clear in November 2006; the message was to end the Iraq War. Sentiment against the war is even stronger now and Congress should be acting to end the war ASAP. Support the troops by keeping them out of a Mideast Civil War.

George Reid
Pleasanton

[Susan Chacin]

I'm very glad you did the right thing, Jerry. Now how can your supporters who agree help talk to constituents who may have a negative reaction? I don't want to wait until campaign time to address your district's voters who still think $ for the war supports the troops or any of the other lies the White House is putting forth!

[Kevin Malone]

Thank you for your vote!

The other dems who caved on this issue need to contact the family of each soldier who dies between now and when we leave Iraq to explain what each soldier died for!

[Anthony]

Jerry,
Although I do not agree with everything you do or say, I have tremendous respect for someone who sticks to their beliefs. I do not agree with the course our nation has followed in Iraq, but I do believe we need some flexibility. Nevertheless, our district chose you to represent us and we trust in you to do what you think is right.

[Gloria Donohue]

Dear Congressman McNerney,

Thank you for standing up and voting against the Supplemental Funding Bill.
Although, I don't live in your district, I did donate to your campaign against Pombo.
Thank you for not making me feel sorry about those donations as several other Democrats have.
You did the right thing by representing what the vast majority of Americans want: our troops home ASAP and our occupation of Iraq to end.
Again, thank you.