and her campaign team visited Fairbanks this weekend and had several campaign events. I had the pleasure of meeting her and her campaign manager, Kris Pierce, for the first time. Diane is a very passionate and determined individual. Kris provided me with her speech concerning the Iraq war.
read the rest below the fold... it is very good!
Thank you all for coming today. I will have a brief statement and then will take questions.
Last night I saw true courage. Last night I witnessed true democracy in action. I attended the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly meeting and I applaud Assemblymen Bontas and Statterly for producing a resolution that I feel a majority of Americans agree with. It calls for the immediate resignation of Defense Secretary Rumsfield.
It is this type of courage and dedication the makes our democracy great. Unfortunately though, there are those that call actions such as these, Unpatriotic and not supporting the troops. It seems anyone that questions the motives or actions of this administration in reference to the War in Iraq are considered members of the "CUT & RUN" Party. To often they point a finger at the Democratic Party and paint them as a party that will abandon the troops in Iraq and abandon democracy in the Middle East. This is far from the truth. I stand here today as a member of the Democratic Party and I am here to take possession of the label "CUT & RUN".
Why would I associate myself with the label "CUT & RUN"?
Because I want to: CUT THE NUMBER OF DEAD U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ!
Because I want to: CUT THE NUMBER OF WOUNDED U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ!
Because I want to: CUT THE NUMBER OF SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN WHO LOSE LIMBS FROM ROAD SIDE BOMBS!
Because I want to: CUT THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES TORN APART BY LONG EXTENSIONS AND MULTIPLE TOURS IN IRAQ!
Because I want to: CUT THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT HAVE NEVER MET THEIR FATHERS AND NEVER WILL!
Because I want to: CUT THE NUMBER OF INNOCENT IRAQI CIVILIANS KILLED AND WOUNDED!
Because I want to: CUT THE AMOUNT OF TAXPAYER MONEY THIS ADMISTRATION IS SPENDING ON A MISLEADING ENDEAVOR. PRESIDENT BUSH AS SPENT OVER $300 BILLION OF OUR MONEY FOR HIS WAR IN IRAQ.
Because I want to: CUT THE BULL (the excuses and denial) USED BY THIS ADMINISTRATION THAT PREVENTS ADEQUATE FUNDING OF THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION.
Partially offensive now that we are in a time of war.
Because I want to: SEE FAMILIES RUNNING TOWARDS THEIR LOVED ONES AS THEY FINALLY RETURN HOME!
SEE THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT RUNNING THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT!
These are the reasons that I associate myself with the label of "CUT & RUN" and why it is so important to bring our service men and women home and out of harm's way as soon as possible.
My opponent stated on September 26, 2006 that he predicts we will be in Iraq for a minimum of 2 years. He states that this is the decision of President Bush and he supports the decision of the President to "STAY THE COURSE".
I stand here today and tell you that President Bush and my opponent are not looking in the best interest of our country.
Currently we have:
OVER 2700 U.S. MILITARY DEAD IN IRAQ
OVER 21,000 U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED
OVER 30,000 IRAQI CIVILIANS DEAD
COUNTLESS IRAQI CIVILIANS WOUNDED
By staying this course for two more years with the current escalation of attacks by insurgents, we could face:
WELL OVER 5000 U.S. MILITARY DEAD IN IRAQ
OVER 45,000 U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED
OVER 55,000 IRAQI CIVILIANS DEAD
I will not stand by and be silent and complacent with a President and a Congress that do not have their own sons & daughters fighting and that will allow 5000 of our sons, daughters, husbands and wives to lose their lives for the fight that they felt compelled to expedite. We must immediately re-evaluate our role in Iraq. When I talk of re-evaluating our role, I am talking about careful consideration of the advise and expertise of our military advisors, and expand the voice of Congress in this process. We can support democracy in the Middle East without sacrificing our very own. We can support freedom for all, without increasing the number of wounded. We can fight the war on terrorism, if we fight the real terrorists and not the terrorists that we have created by our country's actions.
When it comes to sacrificing the lives of our fighting men and women; I want to ensure that we sacrifice their lives for the right reason, and not because a President and his supporters are afraid to admit mistakes. If you are hiking through the woods and you are going in the wrong direction, do you "STAY THE COURSE" or do you "CUT" a path in the right direction.
I support our US service men and women. I have a very strong record on supporting those brave men and women and the families that are left behind. Anyone that tries to say otherwise, say it to me in person and not in a political ad.
Thank you again for coming and I will now take any questions.
Diane Benson, as you can see, speaks her mind. She will not hold back, and is a clear alternative to our current congressman, Don Young. Her campaign is doing an excellent job with minimal resources. Please consider helping out her campaign. A little effort and a little money can go a long way in Alaska.