Steve Novick is a committed progressive taking on Gordon Smith for the U.S. Senate. You can find out more about the fighter with the hard left hook at his website and help support his campaign at ActBlue.
Last night, President Bush again offered his latest rationale for continuing this disastrous war in Iraq – offering a token concession to bring troop levels back to where they were before his misguided "Surge" policy. We've all seen this song and dance with timetables and benchmarks time and again.
But I'm writing you now because the truth about this war is clear for all to see: it was a mistake that we aren't going to be able to fix alone and no amount of discussion or compromise with Bush, Cheney and the rest of their cronies is going to get them to accept that fact. It is clear what we need to do now: demand an end to this war. No compromises, no excuses. As John Edwards said earlier this month:
It's time to end the game – we can't wait. Congress must tell the president something very simple: No timetable, no funding. No excuses.
This week, we found out that Gordon Smith is again trying to paper over his four-year record of supporting this war, this time by joining some Democrats in Congress to try to pass watered down legislation that would not set deadlines for troop withdrawals. If Gordon Smith wants to end this war, as he claims, he should be working hard to convince his Republican colleagues that this war cannot be 'won' and must come to a swift end, instead of providing more political cover to President Bush.
If we have learned anything since the 2006 election, it is that trying to find compromise with Bush on Iraq inevitably becomes a blank check for extending the war. The time has come for all true Congressional opponents of this war to stand up and say, "No. No more extensions, no more benchmarks, no more excuses and promises. And I'm not voting another dime for this war until I see the plan to get us out of it."
Oregonians expect their Senators to lead on this issue. That is why I am running for the U.S. Senate – to provide an outspoken voice that will reflect Oregonians' beliefs and priorities, not let them become hostage to political horsetrading. Oregonians can do better than a weak Republican in the Senate. We can have a strong Democrat.
I have been an outspoken opponent of the Iraq war since before its inception. And it is my pledge that if the U.S. still has military forces in Iraq when I take office, I will fight for a full withdrawal. I believe we should make a final attempt to engage Iraq's neighbors and other regional powers to shift our presence into a multinational effort to bring peace and stability to Iraq. But failing such a regional agreement, and agreement that U.S. forces are vital for the success of that effort, we should withdraw U.S. military forces over a six-month period.
Moreover, we must take steps to ensure that the conflict is not seen as a pretext for expanding U.S. influence in the region. And that means no permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq and no oil contracts exclusively for U.S. companies.
Like you, I am deeply concerned about the future of this war and Congress's unwillingness to stand up to President Bush. It is time for Democrats to demand no timetables, no funding. No excuses.