Himes Says ‘Mission Not Accomplished’ By Pres. Bush
Darien News-Review, Thursday, May 08, 2008
On the fifth anniversary last week of President George W. Bush's declaration aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln of "mission accomplished" in Iraq, Democratic congressional candidate Jim Himes spoke out adamantly at Norwalk City Hall about the ongoing war and a host of issues that remain at the forefront of both state and federal government.
Himes, a Harvard graduate and Rhodes Scholar, is currently running against Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays in the 4th Congressional District.
The purpose of last Thursday's press event was to raise awareness about Himes' campaign and address many of the problems faced daily by American citizens.
Supporters of Himes held posters and signs reading: "Mission Not Accomplished - $4 Gas," "Mission Not Accomplished Osama Bin Laden Still at Large" and "$800 Billion Spent in Iraq: Recession at Home."
Like many critics of the president, Himes noted how many supporters of Bush's regime underestimated the ramifications of the war in Iraq and how it would affect the American people.
"This war is an impossibility," said William A. Collins, a supporter of Himes who also once served as mayor of Norwalk. Collins is also a member of the national board of directors of Veterans for Peace.
"Our veterans are angry at the continuation of the war in Iraq," he added, citing lack of honesty and support in regard to troop relations and often "miserable care" for soldiers after they serve, as just two of what he said are the many negative components of the situation in Iraq. Collins also named Shays as a "perpetrator of the war," while stating that Himes had already "covered the whole spectrum of preparation for being a congressman."
On his Web site, Shays' current stance is on minimizing additional problems related to Iraq. "The bottom line is we do not have the force structure to maintain the number of troops we have in Iraq now and certainly do not have the capacity to increase this force," he said on the Web site.
"I share your concern about Iraq and want to do everything I can to help our mission succeed and bring our troops home," Shays continued. "I believe we need to draw down the majority of our troops on a bipartisan basis, and have sought to achieve bipartisan solutions to improve our operations and reduce the violence."
In addition, Shays also voted for H.R. 3159, an act that ensured active duty soldiers a minimum period of rest equal to or longer than the period of most recent deployment.
"I am convinced the extension of tours harms morale, places an undue burden on the families of soldiers, damages the military leadership's credibility, and most importantly endangers our soldiers' lives by straining their physical, mental and emotional capabilities," Shays said.
However, Himes noted last Thursday that Shays, who has advocated a gradual withdrawal from Iraq, has also voted on three separate occasions against proposed withdrawal timelines in Congress.
Himes went on to cite a number of "essential missions" that needed to be accomplished in upcoming years. Universal health care, access to good public education and crafting of sensible energy policies were noted as important steps at both the local and federal levels.
"These are the things we need to do, and we need to do them now, with new leadership," Himes said. "We need to indicate our seriousness about leaving Iraq and get our troops out as quickly as possible. This babysitting of a war is unprincipled and ridiculous," he added.
With the price of the war closing in on $800 billion and $3.1 billion contributed to the war from the 4th Congressional District alone, Himes indicated that many of those funds could have been allocated toward health care, educational initiatives and economic issues on the home front.
The cost of the war in Iraq to the city of Norwalk is estimated to be $38 million.
