Political Quotes

“just 6 weeks ago, Zarqawi was killed in Iraq. Five weeks ago, the House held a debate on Iraq in which Republicans belittled Democrats for questioning the President's strategy. Said my colleague from North Carolina: ``There are those who want to deny that we are making progress in Iraq.'' But no matter how hard my Republican colleagues try, they cannot escape the facts on the ground. After the most violent month in Iraq and a U.N. report estimating that more than 100 Iraqis are being killed per day, the Republicans are singing a different tune. This morning's Washington Post reads: ``GOP Lawmakers Edge Away from Optimism on Iraq.'' And that same North Carolina lawmaker is quoted as saying: ``We can't look like we won't face reality.'' Well, here's reality: when the President went to war with too few troops, not enough body armor, and not enough armed Humvees, and without a plan for occupation, the Republican Congress failed their oversight responsibilities. Lieutenant General Greg Newbold said, ``To be sure, the Bush administration and senior military officials are not alone in their culpability.'' Members of Congress defaulted in fulfilling their constitutional responsibility of oversight. Mr. Speaker, it is time for a change. It is time for a new direction. ____________________”