Dear Friends,

According to House Minority Leader John Boehner, I'm a "terrorist sympathizer," and you probably are too.
Just days ago on the floor of the House of Representatives, the Republican leader claimed that "al Qaeda and terrorist sympathizers around the world are trying to divide us here at home. Over the next few days, we have an opportunity to show our enemies that we will not take the bait."
This isn't the first time Republicans have linked Democrats with terrorists at the time of an important vote. In fact, it's become the norm.
In October 2004, then-Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert claimed that al Qaeda "would like to influence this election" and would be more comfortable if John Kerry were elected.
This past August, Vice President Cheney claimed that anti-war voters in Connecticut were encouraging "al Qaeda types" to "break the will of the American people in terms of our ability to stay the fight and complete the task."
And just days before our landslide victory in the November midterm elections, President Bush claimed that "the Democrat[ic] approach in Iraq comes down to this: The terrorists win and America loses."
Put a stop to the slander. Help the Democrats pass the House Iraq resolution, and help wavering Republicans stand up to this rhetoric:
http://www.democrats.org/noescalation
The "bait" that Boehner refers to is the House Democrats' war resolution that Governor Dean emailed you about on Tuesday -- a vote of no-confidence in the president's plan to escalate the war in Iraq.
You see, with 70% of the public opposing escalation and potentially 60 Republicans crossing party lines, the Republican leadership is resorting to desperate measures to try to fool the American people and stop this damning vote.
Support the Iraq resolution -- and tell Boehner that we aren't buying his publicity stunts:
http://www.democrats.org/noescalation
The Republicans know the mess they're in. In a desperate letter to their Republican colleagues, Congressmembers John Shadegg and Peter Hoekstra wrote:
"The debate should not be about the surge or its details. This debate should not even be about the Iraq war to date, mistakes that have been made, or whether we can, or cannot, win militarily. If we let Democrats force us into a debate on the surge or the current situation in Iraq, we lose."
Why are Republicans scared of a debate on America's top issue? And why can't they stand up to the Democrats on the current situation in Iraq?
Because it wasn't the Democratic Party that led us into a war on false pretenses. Democrats didn't alienate our global allies by ignoring diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution. Democrats didn't reject the advice of our military leaders, who recommended we change the course. And Democrats didn't decide to put more of our troops in harm/s way to interfere in a bloody civil war with no end in sight.
The Democrats didn't start this war, but we're working to end it -- and the House resolution is an important first step to changing the course and bringing our brave men and women home.
Support the Iraq resolution today:
http://www.democrats.org/noescalation
Don't let John Boehner imply that we are terrorist sympathizers. Don't let the Republican leadership continue these publicity stunts.
While they try, we'll be busy fighting back and governing.
Sincerely,
Tom McMahon