Louise Slaughter: “5 years ago in a well-orchestrated public relations stunt that featured landing on an aircraft carrier, President Bush…”

“5 years ago in a well-orchestrated public relations stunt that featured landing on an aircraft carrier, President Bush proclaimed, ``In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.'' Just 2 weeks ago, on the fifth anniversary of ``Mission Accomplished,'' the White House could only express exasperation that anyone would even make a fuss that 5 years have gone by and we're still in Iraq, deeper than ever. Well, here's why people are making such a fuss: Over 4,000 American service men and women killed in Iraq; over 30,000 of our troops wounded or maimed; a continuing U.S. occupation of Iraq; and a mission that is never ending, never defined, and completely open-ended. Ironically, the USS Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carrier where President Bush declared victory in Iraq, was just deployed last week for another tour of duty in the Persian Gulf. Today this House will have a choice to make, whether to continue this war well into next year.”