Another Sununu Vote to Continue Bush's War

Concord - For the sixth time this year, John E. Sununu today voted to stay the course in Iraq, rejecting a proposal to end the war by redeploying most U.S. troops by the summer of 2008. Siding against the majority of his constituents, Sununu’s vote ensures that President Bush will be able to continue to pursue his failed Iraq policy with little accountability.

“Granite Staters want an end to the war in Iraq but vote after vote John E. Sununu refuses to chart a new course,” said Raymond Buckley, NH Democratic Party Chair. “Sununu continues to turn his back on his constituents and embrace George Bush’s failed strategy. The brave men and women in our armed services deserve leaders who are working in the best interests of our country, not their own political gain.”

The Levin-Reed proposal, failed on a 47-47 vote, falling 13 short of the 60 required to proceed under Senate rules. The measure would have required a withdrawal to begin within 90 days while limiting the U.S. military mission to counterterrorism, training Iraqi forces, and protecting U.S. facilities.

This week, the New Hampshire Democratic Party began distributing literature and launched www.stopsununu.com to highlight Sununu’s record of failure to represent the interests of New Hampshire.

BACKGROUND

Sununu Has Now Voted Against Withdrawing U.S. Troops From Iraq SIX Times This Year. Today, Sununu once again voted against a bipartisan proposal that would require a shift of American troops away from combat in Iraq by the summer of 2008. Since the beginning of this year, Sununu has now voted with President Bush and against bringing U.S. troops home six times. [Vote 252, 7/18/07; Vote 147, 4/26/07; Vote 126, 3/29/07,Vote 116, 3/27/07; Vote 75, 3/15/07; NPR, 7/17/07; New York Times, 9/20/07]

Solid Majority of Granite Staters Support Withdrawal From Iraq. Public polling shows that a majority of New Hampshire residents continue to stand firmly behind the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. A July 2007 CNN/WMUR Granite State poll showed that 61 percent of New Hampshire adults backed the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. In that poll, 34 percent of Granite Staters supported withdrawing US troops from Iraq by March 2008 while 27 percent favored the immediate withdrawal of US forces. In addition, a June 7 News/Suffolk University poll showed that a remarkable 72 percent of Granite Staters favored the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. In that poll, 18 percent of likely voters favored the immediate withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, while a solid majority, 54 percent, supported the gradual withdrawal of US forces over a defined period. [UNH Granite State Release, 7/18/07; Suffolk University Release, 6/27/07]