WHY DOES JIM MARSHALL (D-GA) HATE AMERICA AND LOVE DICK CHENEY?

There were 74 votes in the House and Senate between October 10, 2002 (the 4 shameful, infamous Authorization for the Use of Force Against Iraq roll calls) and 2006. The Democrats haven't exactly been superstars in the defense of our country against the creep of internal fascism and external militarism-- unless you contrast them with the supine, rubber stamp Republicans. Even then, though, there are some Democrats who have been as bad as some Republicans. Ron Paul, a Texas Libertarian/Republican, for example, has voted better than 20 Democrats overall. And yesterday, Paul and 16 of his GOP colleagues crossed the aisle and voted for America instead of for Bush and Cheney and the Republican leadership and their harebrained schemes to expand the disastrous Iraq war. Although some of the Republicans who joined all but 2 Democrats in passing the nonbinding symbolic resolution against the escalation, surely believed it was the right thing to do-- like Paul and North Carolina Congressman Walter Jones-- many are just frightened, shallow wingnuts with no convictions except the basic one about wanting to be re-elected next year in a moderate and very anti-war district-- like Phil English (PA), Tom Davis (VA), Bob Inglis (SC), Wayne Gilchrest (MD), James Walsh (NY), and Mike Castle (DE), each of whom expects a tough battle for re-election and none of whom has ever voted at variance-- not even once-- with the Bush Iraq line.

At least some of the 17 Republicans who abandoned their reactionary, warmongering leaders yesterday had voted two or even three times since 2002, among the dozens of votes taken regarding Iraq, against the Bush Regime. Now what about the 2 Democrats, Jim Marshall (GA) and Gene Taylor (MS) who crossed the aisle in the other direction and voted with the Bush Regime yesterday? Jim Marshall has been Bush's biggest supporter among Democrats on all matters Iraq, the very worst of a couple of dozen Democrats who have tended to support the Regime again and again and again. He's in a very solid Republican district. So is Taylor, who has been nearly as bad. Both have voted more frequently with Bush on Iraq policies than has Ron Paul (R-TX), but both have been less reactionary than every other Republican in the House.

Yesterday the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced its Front Line Program, which helps endangered incumbents retain their seats through large infusions of campaign donations solicited from Democratic contributors. Last year Jim Marshall was one of those recipients but somehow the DCCC forgot to inform Democrats that Marshall has a marked tendency to vote with Republicans, not just on Iraq, but on almost all crucial, core, substantive issues. He's on the list again this year. When you donate to the DCCC, you donate to Bush Iraq War enabler Jim Marshall.

Today I got a solicitation e-mail from the DCCC bragging about how the party has kept so many promises-- Speaker Pelosi's First 100 Hours Agenda (much of it still languishing in the Senate, none of it signed into law by Bush)-- and then going on to discuss the Iraq situation and see what contributions they could wring out of low-information voters in regard to that "great legislative victory."

This week, House Democrats fulfilled another promise-- to hold an honest and open debate on the war in Iraq and to hold the Bush Administration accountable for its mismanagement of the Iraq war.

United in support for our troops who are bravely serving in Iraq, Democrats voted today to oppose the President's escalation plan. Republicans simply Rubber Stamped the President's Iraq policy and refused to hold the Bush Administration accountable for its failures in Iraq.

Given the chance to stand up for our troops and ask the tough questions that have long gone unasked and unanswered, Republicans used their time for more hollow partisan attacks and stay the course rhetoric.

Baseless and distorting, Republicans offered up nothing more than shameless name calling:

"...History will not focus on your voting for the resolution authorizing the force, but they will long remember you unleashing the hell that is going to come in Iraq by voting for this resolution." (Rep. Latham, IA-04)

"Congressmen who willfully take action during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs, and should be arrested, exiled or hanged." (Rep. Young, AK-AL)

Democrats want to move us in a new direction-- and are working everyday to make that a reality. The days of the Rubber Stamp Congress are behind us and the Democratic Majority is demanding a plan, accountability and answers.

Our newly elected members spoke honestly about the change they are bringing to Washington:

"Walking in my own combat boots, I saw first hand this Administration's failed policy in Iraq. I led convoys up and down "Ambush Alley" in a Humvee without doors-- convoys that Americans still run today because too many Iraqis are still sitting on the sidelines ...We must make Iraqis stand up for Iraq-- and set a timeline to start bringing our heroes home." (Rep. Murphy, PA-08)

"We can and must do better by our soldiers... Our soldiers are trained to fulfill their mission without question. We as civilian leaders have a duty to question it on their behalf. For the past four years this Republican-led Congress has failed in their duty." (Rep. Walz, MN-01)

"If my 31 years in the military taught me anything, it was that we serve in this all-volunteer military to defend Americans' freedom to think as they please and to say what they think, even if they disagree with their leaders..."(Rep. Sestak, PA-07)

Our troops and our country deserve better than the Republicans' stay the course strategy. As this debate ends, I can assure you the conversation is only just beginning. I hope you continue to stay with us.

Forget, at least for a moment, the inappropriateness of the DCCC calling attention to the severe dementia being suffered by the poor old codger who disgraces the state of Alaska every time he opens his trap. Instead, ask yourself whether of not there is truth in advertising if the DCCC is asking for contributions based on standing up against Bush Regime Iraq initiatives and then funneling that money into the campaign of Jim Marshall, someone who supports those initiatives and did so again yesterday in regard to the specific congressional action being touted by the Democrats.