Janice Schakowsky: “as a founding member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, I rise in strong support of our brave troops and in strong support of…”

“as a founding member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, I rise in strong support of our brave troops and in strong support of Congressman Murtha's plan for a responsible redeployment from Iraq. Americans want the truth about the Iraq war. Americans deserve the truth, and despite all the talk from those who declared this war, ineptly pursued this war, and still today justify this war, the American people in overwhelming numbers have determined for themselves the truth about this war. Polls taken even after the killing of al Zarqawi show that only 33 percent of American adults think that the results of the war were worth the loss of life and other costs. Only 33 percent approve of the way George W. Bush is handling the situation in Iraq. Only 26 percent of Americans feel that the United States is better off because of the war. The American people in their wisdom have been able to distinguish reality from rhetoric. The truth has been a major casualty in the war of Iraq. It is worth reviewing just a few of the statements presented as truth that have been proven to be not true, never true, and still today not true: Dick Cheney said in August 2002, ``Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.'' In March 2003, Donald Rumsfeld said, ``We know where they are.…”