Wisconsin Green Party
www.wisconsingreenparty.org
Rae Vogeler for US Senate
www.voterae.org
Contact:
Marc Sanson: Campaign Manager, 608-204-7336, msanson@gp.org
Rae Vogeler: 608-695-2695 or 608-237-1337, rae-v@charter.net
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Statement by Wisconsin U.S. Senate Candidate Rae Vogeler on 2500th U.S.
Casualty in Iraq
MADISON, WI. - Rae Vogeler, candidate for U.S. Senate has released the
following statement in response to the 2500th U.S. casualty in Iraq:
"It is with great sadness that I respond today to the Pentagon announcement
of the death of the 2500th U.S. soldier in Iraq. Both the Pentagon and the
Bush Administration stated that it is 'just a number.' I cannot accept that.
As a mother and as an American, I believe it is important to point out that
these 2500 individuals who laid down their lives in service to their country
deserve better than to be reduced to a simple statistic.
"Despite all signs that we are failing in Iraq, this ill-conceived war
continues with no end in sight. On an average day, two U.S. service persons
are killed. Sixty-four soldiers die each month. Tens of thousands of Iraqi
civilians have lost their lives, a trend that continues to escalate. How
long will we allow this destruction to continue?
"It is encouraging that the sentiment in Congress is finally changing toward
Iraq, but it has lagged behind opinion polls. In February of 2006, a Zogby
International survey reported that 72 percent of American troops serving in
Iraq called for exiting the country this year, and more than one in four
troops said we should leave immediately. There is federal legislation put forth to 'redeploy' troops to other bases in the region, as
Congressman Murtha has proposed, and Senator Kerry's 'non-binding' resolutions to bring the troops home sooner rather than later. Although a
good start, they do not go far enough. It is time to end the bloodshed, and
return our soldiers to their homes and families. We must stop building
bases in Iraq and leave so that Iraqis can run their own economy and government. That is what freedom and democracy is all about.
"Let's bring our troops home now and redirect the billions being spent
weekly in Iraq to much needed jobs, education and health care programs here
at home. Rather than spending $100,000 a minute in Iraq to wage war, let's
spend it here to sustain life. On the eve of Father's Day, we must give
fathers all over this country and Iraq the good news that they and their
families will no longer be put in harms way.
"We must not let the 2500th death of a U.S. service person become a
statistic - let it be a wake up call to bring our troops back home where
they belong."
MORE INFORMATION
Rae Vogeler for U.S. Senate, http://www.voterae.org
