CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Jerry McNerney Statement on Iraq

Here is a statement from one of America's best freshman Congressional Reps: Jerry McNerney (CA-11).

As you know, I ran for Congress to change the way Washington works and restore honesty, integrity and accountability to our federal government. Now that I am serving you in our nation's capital, fulfilling this promise means engaging in an open and ongoing dialogue with my constituents and supporters about the issues that concern all of us the most.

The war in Iraq is, of course, the most significant issue of our time.

A few weeks ago, I was honored to lead a bipartisan, all-freshman Congressional delegation to Iraq to gain a deeper understanding of the conflict. As I discovered, it's one thing to read about what's going on there. But it's quite another to witness it firsthand and experience it personally.

I came away from this profound experience tremendously moved by the commitment of our brave men and women in uniform as well as the perseverance of the Iraqi people. Although I was proud to lead this delegation and personally meet with our troops, the trip was brief and limited to the locations picked by the military ahead of time.

For a grounded perspective on the war from those who are on the front lines, I urge you to read this critical first-hand account in the New York Times by a group of infantrymen just returning from serving in the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq:

New York Times Op-Ed: "The War as We Saw It"

As the poignant and piercing words of these seven soldiers demonstrates, the unfortunate reality in Iraq is that -- while our troops have performed extremely well under very difficult conditions -- the Bush Administration's planning and execution of the war continues to be an abysmal failure.

Our women and men laying their lives on the line in Iraq have done everything we have asked of them. To honor their service, they deserve leaders who respect them enough to ask the tough questions, and -- when something isn't working -- not only acknowledge it, but fundamentally change course.

In September, Congress will be participating in perhaps the most critical discussion of this conflict since it began in 2003. My campaign web site has been receiving increasing amounts of email from concerned citizens curious about my stance on the war. So, as we approach this pivotal debate, I want to clearly and unequivocally express to you where I stand on the question of executing a responsible redeployment from Iraq:

I am firmly in favor of withdrawing troops on a timeline that includes both a definite start date and a definite end date ("date certain") and uses clearly-defined benchmarks. I am not in favor of an "open-ended" timeline for withdrawal, as some members of Congress have proposed recently.

As many foreign policy experts agree, setting a date certain for withdrawal is fundamental to forcing George W. Bush to bring our troops home from Iraq and ensuring the Iraqis step up and defend their own country. That's why -- even as I consider all proposals as a matter of due diligence -- I am standing strong on setting a definite redeployment end date (as an example, I recently voted for the "Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act" to safely draw down our troops over the course of nine months).

As this national debate begins anew, I am counting on you to stand strong with me as well. The only way that we, together, can bring this unfortunate chapter in our history to a close is if we remain united and steadfast in our collective commitment.

Now that I've had the opportunity to frankly articulate where I stand on the war, I would appreciate it if you took just a few minutes to tell me what you think as well. Please let me -- and our community -- know your thoughts by posting them on my blog.

If you would rather not post your thoughts publicly, you can send your comments privately to me.

As always, I am looking forward to hearing your heartfelt concerns for the future of our nation and the world. In the spirit of continuing our open dialogue, I will read your comments and will do my best to respond on our blog.

Thank you for your time and your support.

Jerry McNerney has been heavily targeted by the Republicans from the very day he took office. He is included in my Democratic Allstars Act Blue Page.