I love Patrick Leahy

[jillan]

check it out:

Dear xxxx,

Today, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker testified before two House committees about the status of the war in Iraq. The war is one of the most important issues facing our nation, and I would like to share my thoughts with you about today's testimony.

By invading Iraq, President Bush led us into one of the biggest foreign policy disasters in our nation's history. He incorrectly tied Saddam Hussein to the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11, and since then he and his Administration have consistently attacked the patriotism of anyone who dared to criticize their mismanagement and failed leadership.

The war on terror could and should have been handled very differently. Six years ago, U.S. soldiers almost captured Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. But because President Bush had focused his attention on Iraq and diverted our resources away from Afghanistan, bin Laden escaped and still remains at large. The war in Iraq has distracted our country from the real culprits of terror, and has wasted hundreds of billions of U.S. taxpayers' dollars.

The President's "surge" strategy has not brought Iraqis any closer to a political resolution to end the war. Instead, our military presence continues to discourage Iraqis from taking responsibility for the direction of their own country. In the meantime, Iraqi civilians and U.S. soldiers are dying every day with no end in sight.

It's clear that President Bush intends to continue this war until he leaves office, and then burden the next president with the aftermath of his failures. There are no signs of improvement in the Iraqi civil war, and the only reasonable solution to end the violence is to bring our troops home.

Tomorrow, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will testify before the U.S. Senate where they will face more tough questions from my colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee. I promise to work with other Members of Congress -- both Democrats and Republicans -- to bring this bloody war to a close. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Patrick Leahy
=============================

Such a good, decent man.

[Selatius]

1. Vermont has arguably the two best senators as far as standing up for workers and citizens.

Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy are truly rare.

[regnaD kciN]

2. I wish Leahy had been moved to run for President...

...because he strikes me as a lot better candidate than most that we've had over the past three decades.

[Adsos Letter]

3. I agree with your assessment...

...maybe he feels he's working at the level where he can do the most good right now. We sure could use someone with integrity, intelligence, and a real respect for the Constitution, though. It is hard for me to get too excited about anyone in the race right know, although I suppose a Kucinich/Clark ticket would be ok...

[cali]

6. He doesn't have the drive to be President

and he is truly a Vermonter, someone who spends every minute he can in his home state.

He's a terrific guy; I'm just glad he's my Senator.

[PatSeg]

4. They don't come any better!

One of my favorite people. He radiates integrity.

[snappyturtle]

5. Yep, I love to hear Pat Leahy......gets to the point fast! It will be

interesting to see if he puts Petraeus and Crocker under oath! Wasn't it he and Spector that got into it, about the oath, in one of Gonzales' hearings?

[Mass]

7. He and Sanders are great, I agree.

[Nutmegger]

8. R&K because I do too!

:thumbsup::kick: