Email From Barbara Boxer: Knocking on the White House door

Dear Carl,

Cindy Sheehan's courageous protest outside George Bush's ranch in Crawford, TX has captivated tens of millions of Americans from coast to coast. Her poignant and heartfelt pleas have focused the nation's attention on Iraq in a way that nothing else could.

Yet after 28 long months of our occupation of Iraq, and after 1,873 brave American soldiers -- including Casey Sheehan -- have lost their lives, President Bush has still failed to develop a success strategy. This cannot continue any longer.

Shortly after the Senate reconvenes in early September, and when George Bush returns to Washington from his five-week vacation in Texas, I am personally going to deliver our petition to the White House, calling on President Bush to spell out his plan for Iraq. And I want your name to be on it.

Call on President Bush to develop a success strategy for Iraq -- sign my petition now!

I'm proud to stand alongside my colleague Russ Feingold from Wisconsin as a co-sponsor of Senate Resolution 171, calling on President Bush to define a timeframe for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Because it's time -- in fact, it's more than time -- for President Bush to clearly lay out a strategy for the American people that can succeed in Iraq, defuse the terrorist insurgency, and bring our brave men and women home.

That will only happen when the President brings credibility, accountability, and responsibility to a war that has been lacking in all three.

* Credibility: It's time for President Bush to stop using sound bytes like "Mission Accomplished" and be honest and truthful with the American people.

* Accountability: We need to hear from the Bush Administration about exactly how many Iraqi forces are needed; how to meet that goal; and by when.

* Responsibility: We must honor our soldiers and their families -- including mothers like Cindy Sheehan -- every day, by giving them the equipment they need while they are deployed and the health care they deserve when they come home.

Add your name -- today -- to the petition that I will deliver to the White House next month!

More than 40,000 Americans have already signed my petition, urging President Bush to develop a success strategy for Iraq.

But we need tens of thousands more to make our voices heard, loud and clear.

We need tens of thousands more to stand with us, urging President Bush to set a timeframe for withdrawing American forces.

We need tens of thousands more to stand with Cindy Sheehan and all the grieving mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, and family members who have lost loved ones in this war.

Urge President Bush to develop a success strategy for Iraq -- sign my petition to the White House now!

Thank you so much for your support. I'll keep you updated on our progress in collecting petition signatures and will let you know exactly when we'll be delivering them.

I look forward to carrying your name with me to the White House in September.

In Friendship,

Barbara Boxer

Semper Fi