Barbara Boxer: “This President's policies left unchecked have been a disaster. And what does he want? More of the same. He criticizes us…”

“This President's policies left unchecked have been a disaster. And what does he want? More of the same. He criticizes us for coming up with a new policy, and this new policy will work because it combines a gradual redeployment of troops, a focus on getting al-Qaida, a focus on training the Iraqis, with a focus on diplomacy and a political solution, which is exactly what everyone says we need. General Petraeus says we must have a political and diplomatic solution. Well, everyone has heard it, but obviously not this President. Mr. President, sign this bill. Have a change of heart. Read the paper today. Read the quote from this humanitarian worker. Read what our troops are saying. Read about it. Reconsider. Also, Mr. President, take a look at what we have done for our people here at home in this bill. You deride it. You make it sound as though we are spending on things we should not. Why shouldn't we fix Walter Reed? Why shouldn't we fix the Veterans' Administration so when our soldiers come home they get mental health care? Why shouldn't we invest in better technologies to protect our troops from these horrific land mines, car bombs, et cetera? That is what is in this bill. Why shouldn't we help our farmers who lost their money because of horrific droughts, horrific frosts? That is what these bills are for, emergencies. On Sunday, we all learned about the horror that happened in Oakland, with a gasoline tanker overturning on a major interstate connecter.”