The Quitters Caucus

Recently, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) introduced H. Con. Res. 35, a call for bringing the troops home from Iraq. The legislation, which even if passed by Congress, would be non-binding on the President, says that President Bush should:


(1) develop and implement a plan to begin the immediate withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq;
(2) develop and implement a plan for reconstructing Iraq's civil and economic infrastructure;
(3) convene an emergency meeting of Iraq's leadership, Iraq's neighbors, the United Nations, and the Arab League to create an international peacekeeping force in Iraq and to replace United States Armed Forces in Iraq with Iraqi police and Iraqi National Guard forces to ensure Iraq's security; and
(4) take all steps necessary to provide the Iraqi people with the opportunity to completely control their internal affairs.


I love this resolution because it just shows how simple-minded Woolsey and her compatriots in the Quitters Caucus are.

First, immediate withdrawal is impossible becasue in order to effectuate requirements 2 and 4, you need to have the troops there. Rep. Woolsey can't have her cake and eat it too. Second, immediate withdrawal is logistically impossible. How does she propose we move tens of thousands of troops and their equipment in a orderly fashion? Teleportation?

Next, how do you think that average trooper in Iraq feels when the Quitters Caucus says they should come home with a mission not completed. These are professional soldiers and as a group they don't like to leave a job undone. Why then force them to quit. It makes America look like we can't handle the tough job over the long haul--exactly what the terrorists want to prove.

A UN peacekeeping mission? Oh, those have been so successful in the past. Evidence--look at Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia. Do you really expect a peacekeeping force to come from Iraqi neighbors. Half those neighbors want to conquer Iraq for themselves.

Here is the Quitters Caucus. If one of them happens to be your Representative, you should let them know how you feel about their membership in the Quitters Caucus.


Rep. Tammy Baldwin [WI-2]
Rep. Xavier Becerra [CA-31]
Rep. Lacy Clay [MO-1]
Rep. Johon Conyers [MI-14]
Rep. Danny Davis [IL-7]
Rep. William Delahunt [MA-10]
Rep. Lane Evans [IL-17]
Rep. Sam Farr [CA-17]
Rep. Barney Frank [MA-4]
Rep. Raul Grijalva [AZ-7]
Rep. Maurice Hinchey [NY-22]
Rep. Mike Honda [CA-15]
Rep. Shelia Jackson-Lee [TX-18]
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones [OH-11]
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [MI-13]
Rep. Dennis Kucinich [OH-10]
Rep. Barbara Lee [CA-9]
Rep. John Lewis [GA-5]
Rep. Jim McDermott [WA-7]
Rep. James McGovern [MA-3]
Rep. Cynthia McKinney [GA-4]
Rep. Michael Michaud [ME-2]
Rep. Gwen Moore [WI-4]
Rep. Grace Napolitano [CA-38]
Rep. John Olver [MA-1]
Rep. Major Owens [NY-11]
Rep. Ed Pastor [AZ-4]
Rep, Donald Payne [NJ-10]
Rep. Charles Rangel [NY-15]
Rep. Janice Schakowsky [IL-9]
Rep. Jose Serrano [NY-16]
Rep. Pete Stark [CA-13]
Rep. Maxine Waters [CA-35]
Rep. Diane Watson [CA-33]


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