Reply #28: Text of Rahall's speech

[Lasher]

President Bush's war in Iraq has now gone longer than America's involvement in World War II. Now we learn President Bush intends to escalate the number of American troops in Iraq. The great question across the land today is: is more of the same the answer? Will more of the same stabilize Iraq, or for that matter the Middle East?

In all this long war in Iraq, we cannot help but wonder, what if?

What if we had not gone to war?

What if we had listened to that very important and vocal minority who stood against the war when the President led us down that misbegotten road? Oh yes, I agree we are where we are today and we need to get out of this mess together. I have been patient since my no vote on this war four years ago and my yes vote almost 17 years ago for the first Gulf War.

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Over 3,000 have already lost their lives, and that's only the Americans. One journalist in particular, is asking 'what if' on his own. Keith Olbermann, host of Countdown with Keith Olbermann has asked:

"What if he had already sacrificed 3,003 of them - and was then to announce his intention to sacrifice hundreds, maybe thousands, more?"

http://www.rahall.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=687

I'm proud to have Congressman Nick Rahall as my representative. :thumbsup: