The Vote on an Exit From Iraq

I am a member of Military Families Speak Out and a lifelong Democrat. The members of my party who voted to continue the war another 17 months believe they did all they could do to end forward combat operations in Iraq ["House Passes Iraq Pullout Timetable," front page, March 24]. The best they could do was ensure the death of 1,500 more service members by Sept. 1, 2008. Many who voted to continue funding the Iraq war have publicly said our preemptive invasion was a mistake.

Eight Democratic representatives voted according to their conscience. They were Dennis J. Kucinich (Ohio), Barbara Lee (Calif.), John Lewis (Ga.), Michael R. McNulty (N.Y.), Michael H. Michaud (Maine), Maxine Waters (Calif.), Diane E. Watson (Calif.) and Lynn C. Woolsey (Calif.). Eight members out of 435 understood that when volunteers offer to give their lives for their country, it must be to counter an imminent threat. Iraq had never met that criterion. Nonetheless, most Democrats voted to continue the war. Sanity and morality would dictate that members of Congress cannot end a war by continuing to fund it.