Senator Durbin,

However you want to think about bringing about redeployment of our troops from Iraq, however you want to slice the pie, it seems to me the most effective thing the Senate can do is just turn off the Niagra Falls money spigot -- just don't send any funding forward.

It sounds odd because it means the best thing the Senate can do is......nothing.

You might reply, "That doesn't guarantee we'll get redeployment".

To which I'll say, "Shoveling more money sure isn’t doing it either, so how about trying an about-face in approach?"

It's clear to me Congressional Dems don't want to take effective action if it means there’s a slight chance they’d get their political hairdo mussed a bit, or would have to spend a nickel. I’d think you’d be willing to spend a nickel if it would demonstrate to the public that they can be proud of congressmen who actually take effective action which produces results. (It’s not as if the public’s perception is that Congress is worth more than a used popsicle stick these days, you know.)

If you and your colleagues really want to get our troops out of Iraq, why don't you 1) publicly and vociferously redefine "supporting the troops" as redeploying the troops (General Odum and I agree on it!) and 2) do the most effective thing possible.......nothing......and thereby shut off the funds?

Two thingsthat won't bring the troops home are 1) legislating money with weak strings attached with loopholes the size of Texas tractors, which is what the pending legislation looks like to me, and 2) more rhetoric and posturing for the sake of an illusion of opposing the occupation.

No way around it: Congressional Dems are going to have to actually push back against Humpty Dumpty's bully pulpit of You-Have-To-Fund-The-Flawed-Mission-I've-Sent-Our-Troops-On. Mr. Dumpty is threatening layoffs of contracted employees at military bases just to get Congressional Dems' phones ringing.

If Humpty Dumpty wants to play hardball, Senate Dems are going to have to get the guts to stick the bat in his keister. Where's your Sound Machine? Why don’t you fire up your Mighty Wurlitzer? What are you saving it for, a special and important occasion? such as the next re-election campaign? We military families can only do so much by ourselves. We don’t have your resources.

I donated $500 to the DNC close to the end of the last Presidential election, because I wanted Kerry to win. The lady who took my call and contribution assured me that all the money they were bringing in was "going right back out the door into the campaign". Boy, did I feel like asucker when right after the election, I found out the DNC was still sitting on an unspent $50 million! Oh well, that cured me of donating to the DNC again!

So, how about using some of the money in The Political Grain Silos Full Of Cash to do badly needed PR work to help get our troops out of the Iraq hellhole? Get those troops home, and who knows? The public’s perception of Congress might actually improve! Redeployment might actually be politically good for you, and not to mention, good for the troops individually and our Armed Forces collectively. The public might be so impressed that they’d elect more Democrats! 

Sincerely, 

DRB

Member, Military Families Speak Out