Political Quotes

“I know that we are achieving real progress in Iraq and Afghanistan. I know this not only from government and media sources, but from two Pennsylvanians. I want to quote from an email I received this morning from a constituent, an Army officer in Northwest Iraq commanding a Military Transition Team: ``There are many positive things going on over here that the American public never hears about . . . My little 10-man team contributed over 150 boxes of school supplies to the many schools in my area . . . Other units took up a collection and purchased grain to give out to one very small, poor village. I am very proud of the accomplishments of U.S. and Iraqi forces and it truly is a shame that all the news tends to be negative toward the activities of the soldiers (American and Iraqi) who are working very hard every day to make this country safe.'' My summer intern was a soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division. When he arrived in Afghanistan in July, 2002, the people had nothing--no schools, no health care, no paved roads. But in seven months, his unit helped build the first school and health clinic. When his unit went back to Afghanistan in late 2004, it was a different place--new facilities and factories, more electricity, and miles of paved roads. When arriving in a village, his unit was greeted by smiling youngsters mobbing them, throwing plastic flowers.…”