Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. today voted against a Republican-sponsored resolution supporting an Iraqi government that is considering granting amnesty to terrorists who attack U.S. troops. In a statement, Ford said:"Our troops deserve our full support and our prayers. They also deserve a strategy that works. Unfortunately, this resolution is nothing more than a gimmick. It fails to recognize that 'stay the course' is not working and that amnesty for terrorists is unforgivable.
"I support our troops and our goals in Iraq. But I will not support a resolution praising a government that wants to grant amnesty to terrorists fighting our troops. There is only one option for such people: we should hunt them down and punish them. Amnesty is not an option."
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Republicans Lying Again: Once again the NRSC and the Republicans' are lying about Congressman Ford. They are circulating the lie that Ford wants to cut and run from Iraq.
However, that is nothing but a total lie.
In fact, Ford said just this morning on Imus that we should not cut and run from Iraq: "Well it has become the number one training ground for terrorists and whether or not our presence there has created the greater incentive for Iraq to become that, I mean it is that. The war is there now and we have to finish it regardless of where you started with this thing. Regardless of your thoughts about President Bush and Don Rumsfeld, I mean this is now much bigger. If we leave and I know there are some that are urging this. If we leave today the real winner would be the Iranians, the real winner would be Hamas, the real winner would be those who, the insurgents there across Iraq and a generation of children in this nation and this current generation of Americans would be the first generation to lose a war to not a country but just a group of people that have tentacles in countries across the Middle East. I mean this is a time when America and Israel are hated more, are disliked or distrusted more in the Middle East than they have been in my lifetime and a time when this administration has done a lot to really hurt our relations around the globe. If we quit and that's how it would be perceived, I just don't know in the long term, intermediate or long term how that would help our interests."
The Republicans have sunk to a new low today. Not only are they still lying about Congressman Ford, but they are expressing support for a measure that would give amnesty to those who kill our troops in war.
They are pathetic.
Related: Why Does Corker, Hilleary, and Bryant support amnesty for those who kill our troops?
163 Days
Days of Congressional Inaction on Ethics
Above is the number of days that have passed since Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to bribing Congressman.
It is also the number of days in which Congress has failed to pass an ethics reform bill that would limit private travel, ski and golf junkets, and would call for a full disclosure of expenses by lobbyists on members of Congress.
It is time for Congress to step up and pass an ethics reform bill that would do all of the above. In addition, it is time to end the pork barrel spending system as we know it and establish an independent ethics commission that would review ethics complaints against members of Congress.
I am proud Congressman Harold Ford Jr. is fighting for that reform!
Read Congressman Ford's call for reform of the House rules here!
