"if we don't know what the long-term plan is, then I am not sure it is worth putting these troops at risk in Iraq today."
"it is really a political failure in Iraq today, and I think we all agree on that."
"I want to make sure that we do have a long-term, enduring political plan so that whatever effort is made by these 450 and others on the ground in Iraq today, it doesn't go to waste."
"sometimes when we are protecting jobs back here at home, we are putting lives at risk overseas."
"I think we waste time, energy, and resources trying to protect secrets that aren't really secrets."
"We need transparency to know if reform efforts are working."
"Citizens understandably want and deserve more than a trust-us approach to programs addressing their safety."
"However, Congressional action may well be needed to achieve all these reforms in a timely way."
"It is difficult to decide exactly what is going on just based on the statistics."
"I think again the answer is that the record is mixed."
"A culture of if it can be withheld, then it is better to play it safe than sorry."