My Letter to Congressman Walter Jones (R-Surrender)

Ed Note: Since Congressman Jones, contact from will not allow me to submit my inquires to him without a NC 3rd District zip code if you live in his district and would like to send my letter to him please feel free to do so.

Congressman Jones I’m curious to find out how you could have voted in support of the bill to withdraw from Iraq that just passed in the House 218-212. You and Congressman Gilchrest (R-MD) were the only Republicans to vote in favor of surrender.

I’m especially curious because just a mere month ago you sent a letter to Congressman John Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (D-PA) urging him not to cut off funding for U.S. troops in Iraq. You wrote in that letter: “Any attempt to “starve” the war as a way of bringing it to a conclusion, rather than through a serious policy debate about the best way forward in Iraq, would be wrong.”

Can you please explain to the American people and the troops you have just taken hostage for pork how it was right of you to do the wrong thing? Especially in light of the fact that you have stated “I have assured the citizens of Eastern North Carolina, and our brave men and women in uniform, that I will never vote to cut off funding for our troops in the field. Those troops were sent on a mission created by elected officials in Washington, and until those elected officials – operating under the system of checks and balances enumerated in the Constitution – change that mission, their funding should be unfettered by appropriations strings that are in reality a way for Congress to avoid straight up or down policy votes on the House floor.”

The American people, the members of the Republican Party and the troops who deserve full funding and support await your apology.

My Repsonse to Wayne Gilchrest (R-Surrender)

Congressman Gilchrest as a resident of Maryland and a member of the Republican Party I’m curious to find out how you could have voted in support of the bill to withdraw from Iraq that just passed in the House 218-212. You and Congressman Jones (R-NC) were the only Republicans to vote in favor of surrender.

Please explain yourself, how can a man who supports a strong national defense that is structured to meet the challenges of a post-Cold War world and the global war on terrorism. Has supported increased troop levels, improved armor and protection for our service members who are in harm’s way, development and acquisition of proven technology, and increased compensation for service members. Vote to leave them hanging on, as hostages for pork?

As a Vietnam-era Marine platoon sergeant, who claims he is keenly aware of the importance that clear objectives have on morale; don’t you think that voting for surrender shatters the will of the soldiers you claim to support? An explanation is in order, not only to the Republican Party of Maryland and the American people who support victory but to every member of the Armed Forces upon whom you have just turned your back.

218-212 House OKs Surrender

And 2 Republican's crossed the aisle to join with them: Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) and Walter Jones (R-NC).

WASHINGTON - A sharply divided House voted Friday to order President Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq next year, a victory for Democrats in an epic war-powers struggle and Congress' boldest challenge yet to the administration's policy.

Ignoring a White House veto threat, lawmakers voted 218-212, mostly along party lines, for a binding war spending bill requiring that combat operations cease before September 2008, or earlier if the Iraqi government does not meet certain requirements. Democrats said it was time to heed the mandate of their election sweep last November, which gave them control of Congress.

"The American people have lost faith in the president's conduct of this war," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi D-Calif. "The American people see the reality of the war, the president does not."

The vote, echoing clashes between lawmakers and the White House over the Vietnam War four decades ago, pushed the Democratic-led Congress a step closer to a constitutional collision with the wartime commander in chief. Bush has insisted that lawmakers allow more time for his strategy of sending nearly 30,000 additional troops to Iraq to work.

The money quote from the Surrender party:

"If you want peace, stop funding this war," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio.

If you are a member of the Victory Caucus you can contact Mr. Gilchrest here and Mr. Jones here.

Note: Full article here