Political Quotes

“this Saturday the President will issue an interim report on the Iraqi government's success or failure meeting the benchmarks. But prior to taking a look at that report, we have another set of benchmarks to look at; that is, the benchmarks for President Bush's administration and what they've done on the Iraqi policy. When the war began, The White House said that Americans would be greeted as liberators. That's not happening. Next we were told oil revenues would finance the reconstruction of the Iraqi society. Not happening. Then we were told that the insurgency was in its last throes. Not happening. Then we were told that we were planting a democracy in the heart of the Mideast. Not happening. At every turn, the administration's benchmarks for the Iraqi strategy have failed to meet their own measure of success. And the American people have been asked to pay for this failure. Two years ago, we were spending $5 billion a month in Iraq. It is now reported that we're up to $10 billion a month in resources, not counting the amount of lives we lose on a monthly basis. Mr. Speaker, we've waited long enough. The President's strategy of more troops, more time, more money and more of the same has run its course. It's time for a new direction.”