Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

UPDATE: Lt. Gen. William E. Odom on “cut and run.”

Don't believe the Republicans. You can't trust George W. Bush.

Kerry and Feingold are offering a plan that points us in a new direction.

Republicans want you to believe it is “cut and run.” They may be good at
slogans, getting us into a war without having a way through and a way out, but they're averse to telling the truth. We've seen that first hand. We've seen what they have wrought.
It's played out over years.

Now, instead of admitting mistakes and turning in a new direction, Republicans have dug in their heels because they don't have the leadership courage to admit they were wrong.

Some D.C. Democrats are moving their positions, but they also don't have the courage
to do what needs to be done. It's not enough to beg Bush and the Republicans
to please chart a course in Iraq. Democrats must stand up and lead America out.

This is a referendum on the failed policies of Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney and the
rubber stamp Republicans.

Send a message to the Republicans. “Stay the course” is not a plan.
It's not a way out of Iraq. Setting a deadline certain is the only way through. It's the Iraqis turn to take over.

We need you to stand with us — and we need you to do it now. In the next 24 to 48 hours, we will go to the Senate floor to press for passage of the Kerry-Feingold Amendment calling for the redeployment of U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by a deadline certain. Our country desperately needs a new vision for strengthening our national security, and it starts by redeploying U.S. forces out of Iraq so we can wage and win a more effective war on terror and give Iraqis the best chance to stand up for a stable Iraq. Tell your Senators: support the Kerry-Feingold Amendment on Iraq Our troops have served valiantly in Iraq. Under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, they've done their job. Now, it's time to put the future of Iraq where it belongs: in the hands of the Iraqi people and their leaders. And it's time to listen to General George Casey and acknowledge that the indefinite presence of large numbers of U.S. combat forces in Iraq will weaken chances of defeating the insurgency and weaken our ability to fight the global terrorist networks that threaten us today. In recent days, we've seen Republican leaders in the House and Senate shamelessly reject the opportunity for a genuine, meaningful debate on Iraq. They've resorted to a Karl Rove strategy of blindly endorsing President Bush's failed “stay the course” policy in Iraq and challenging the courage and patriotism of anyone who dares to point out the disastrous consequences of their failed approach. It's time for every Senator to reject the lack of wisdom in their Iraq policies and the lack of decency in their Iraq politics. Tell your Senators: support the Kerry-Feingold Amendment on Iraq We have to reject calls for an unquestioning, open-ended endorsement of George W. Bush's endless commitment of U.S. troops in Iraq. And we have to reject the “play it safe” conventional wisdom, inside D.C. punditry that would have Democrats stand on the sidelines without doing everything in our power to change policies that we know are deeply flawed and dangerous. We urge you to tell your Senators that it's time for a new direction. Ask them to endorse the Kerry-Feingold amendment calling for the redeployment of combat troops out of Iraq by a hard and fast deadline. Tell them to act for one simple reason: it's the right thing to do — for Iraq, and for the United States. Tell your Senators: support the Kerry-Feingold Amendment on Iraq Act now to add your voice to tens of thousands of others from around the country who are actively supporting the Kerry-Feingold amendment. We'll see to it that your letter gets delivered to the Senate. This is a critical vote on the most crucial issue facing our country. It's time for every member of the Senate to send an important message that we must change course. And it's time for you to demand leadership from those you have sent to Washington to represent your views. We urge you to act immediately — and we thank you for standing with us on this critical issue. Sincerely, Russ Feingold and John Kerry