Gabrielle Giffords opponent in District 8, Az. : Tim Bee

[panader0]

G. Giffords is my representative. I have sent her several e-mails to express my outrage over various issues and was answered each time with a form response. While I vote the Dem line, I am disappointed with her performance vis-a vis Raul Grijalva, the Rep for the Tucson area. Tim Bee has been around quite a while and is currently the state Senate President. His campaign mantra: "Congress is broken" Lookout Gabby........ I can see us losing this seat.

[Fridays Child]

1. She's trying to give herself a pre-election make-over. Here's a recent letter.

Thank you for contacting me about the war in Iraq. As a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, I have engaged in many hours of hearings with Administration officials and policy experts. I have traveled to Iraq twice to see first-hand how our operations are working and how they can be improved. These experiences have made me confident that the situation in Iraq and the global war against terrorism is more complicated than President Bush seems to recognize.

The President's four and half years of military action in Iraq have come at a staggering cost. We have lost nearly 4,000 American lives, with seven times as many wounded. So far, we have spent more than $500 billion in Iraq, which is more than $10 billion per month, and we still have no clear plan as to how long or to what extent we will be engaged there.

The long-term costs of this war are escalating. Our involvement in Iraq has subjected our military to extraordinary stress, requiring repeated deployments and allowing insufficient recovery and training time for our troops. The war has also had dire consequences for the readiness of our military. I have serious concerns that the war in Iraq has pushed our Army -- especially the Guard and Reserve components -- to the breaking point. In late September, the Chief of Staff of the Army, General George Casey, testified that the repeated deployment of our Armed Forces over the past few years has seriously weakened the Army's ability to respond to emerging threats.

Additionally, I am deeply concerned that the war in Iraq has diverted precious resources from our fight against Al Qaeda and international terrorism. In early December 2007, Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Armed Services Committee that "in Afghanistan, we do what we can; in Iraq, we do what we must." This statement is indicative of the fact that our efforts in Afghanistan have suffered from a lack of focus. Our commitments in Iraq have prevented us from dedicating the forces necessary to fight and defeat Islamic extremism in the central front of the war on terror: Afghanistan.

In light of these facts, I believe that we must immediately begin a responsible withdrawal of all of our combat forces from Iraq while initiating a diplomatic offensive in the region. This approach would demand accountability from the Iraqi government and limit our military presence to special operations and rapid reaction forces for the purposes of striking Al Qaeda and training the Iraqi Security Forces.

In early September, I heard testimony from Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus on the status of the surge. Although they indicated limited success in securing some areas of Iraq, it is clear that no significant progress has been made toward political reconciliation. Furthermore, while violence is down in some parts of the country, Iraq is still far from being safe and secure. This is unacceptable. Unless the Iraqis can resolve their differences and compromise on issues such as de-Ba'athification, the equitable distribution of oil revenues, and the disarmament of sectarian militias, any improvements in the country's security will be temporary, at best.

Since my term in Congress began, I have consistently voted for measures that challenge the president's Iraq policies. I am a cosponsor of the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act, H.R. 2956, which would require redeployment of our forces to begin within 120 days. I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 3159, which would guarantee U.S. soldiers at least one year at home for every year they are deployed. Both bills passed the House earlier this year with my support and are now awaiting Senate consideration.

In addition, I have supported the following measures on the House floor:

oHouse Concurrent Resolution 63: Disapproving of the President's military surge (February 16, 2007);

oH.R. 1591: Supplemental appropriations legislation imposing strict withdrawal timelines for American troops from Iraq (April 25, 2007);

oOverride of President Bush's veto of withdrawal timelines (H.R. 1591) (May 2, 2007);

oH.R. 2929: A bill that prohibits the establishment of permanent bases in Iraq (July 25, 2007);

oH.R. 3087: A bill that requires the Department of Defense to plan for the redeployment of troops in Iraq and report to Congress on their progress (October 2, 2007); and

oH.R. 4156: The Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, a supplemental appropriations bill imposing a strict withdrawal timeline that would aim to redeploy most American forces by the end of 2008. It requires a shift in mission from combat to training, targeted counterterrorism missions, and protection of U.S. personnel in Iraq. (November 14, 2007).

As long as our servicemen and women put their lives on the line every day in Iraq, I will continue to fight in Congress for a more effective strategy-one that supports our troops, bolsters our military readiness, focuses our efforts on fighting international terrorism. I strongly support our men and women in uniform who risk their lives to protect and defend our nation. Our armed forces must have the tools, training, and support they need to be successful in any mission.

I always appreciate hearing from constituents, like you, who are informed and interested in issues of important to Arizona and the nation. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if you require assistance. My job as your representative is to help you connect with federal agencies, access services and get your policy questions answered thoroughly. Feel free to sign-up for e-news updates on my website at www.giffords.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Gabrielle Giffords

Member of Congress