Patrick Kennedy: “the last two days the House has debated for over 10 hours a politically motivated resolution on Iraq. Not one word in…”

“the last two days the House has debated for over 10 hours a politically motivated resolution on Iraq. Not one word in this resolution will do anything to bring us one step closer to success in Iraq, or one day closer to bringing our troops home. This resolution is not about the troops. If it were, this resolution would actually do something to hold accountable those responsible for the manipulation of pre-war intelligence, the poor planning, the incompetence, and the mismanagement that has brought us to this point in Iraq. This resolution does nothing to give our troops a real plan that charts a path toward victory and home. Instead what we have is another attempt at re-writing history to buck up fading support for this administration's failed status quo policies. As even Secretary Condoleezza Rice has acknowledged, the administration has made mistake after mistake when it comes to Iraq. It is the military that has saved them, even as civilian policymakers have scorned and marginalized senior combat generals who have criticized them. Last week's elimination of al-Zarqawi was a reminder of the skill and determination of our men and women in uniform. It is our troops and their families who have borne the brunt of sacrifice in this war, and they continue to persevere despite the failures of this administration. For the past 12 years, I have voted for every bill that supports our troops and honors the sacrifices they and their families make in defending our Nation.…”