If you agree with this letter, send it with a cover note to sf.nancy@mail.house.gov and also write the DCCC - Bob

Dear Representative Pelosi,

Thank you for your letter requesting a contribution to elect a Democratic Congress in 2006 to "hold the President accountable."

This is a cause that I, and millions of Americans, wholeheartedly support. This includes Democrats, Independents, and a very large number of Republicans as well.

But I write to differ strongly with you on exactly how to "hold the President accountable."

Your letter delays George Bush's accountability until the distant date of January 2007 - the earliest time when Democrats could assume control of the House of Representatives after the election of November 2006.

January 2007 is 17 months from now.

Since Iraq's elections were held on January 30, 434 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq. That is nearly 65 per month. At this rate, another 1,105 American soldiers will die before Democrats would begin to "hold the President accountable" under your proposed plan.

This is morally unacceptable.

We have already paid too high a price for this war of lies: 1,871 soldiers have been killed, nearly 7,000 have been maimed, and tens of thousands have been permanently traumatized. Hundreds of Billions have already been borrowed from our children and grandchildren, and we are on track to spend Trillions.

The time for accountability is NOW.

Last October, the Duelfer Report proved Iraq had no WMD's in 2002, when George Bush used this claim to scare Congress into authorizing War.

This May, the Downing Street Memos proved these claims were not based on "faulty intelligence." Instead, the Bush administration deliberately fixed "the intelligence and facts... around the policy" - the policy of invading Iraq, even if Iraq had no WMD's at all.

The conclusion is clear: George Bush lied about Iraq to Congress, the American people, and the world.

In 1998, the Republican Congress voted to hold President Clinton accountable for his lies through Impeachment, even though only 26% of Americans thought Impeachment was the appropriate punishment for lying about sex.

Today, 42% of Americans think Impeachment is the appropriate punishment for lying about war. And that figure greatly understates true public support for Impeachment, because the media utterly refuses to discuss Impeachment - in contrast with 1998, when Impeachment was discussed around the clock.

It is true that Democrats in Congress cannot impeach George Bush (and Dick Cheney, who shares full responsibility with George Bush) by themselves.

But Democrats can introduce Articles of Impeachment and thereby put the issue of accountability squarely before the Republican majority - and the American people.

If Republicans prevent a full Congressional investigation and debate over Bush's lies, they will dishonor the 1,871 soldiers who died for those lies.

That is their choice to make - and they will have to suffer the moral (and political) consequences.

But as the House Minority Leader, it is your solemn duty to begin this urgent moral debate.

I urge you to introduce Articles of Impeachment immediately.

Sincerely,

Bob Fertik, President
Democrats.com

p.s. I also urge you to fully support the following Iraq-related bills that have already been introduced in this Congress, and to use your office to persuade all House Democrats to support these bills:

H.J.RES.55 (Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Walter Jones) requiring the President to develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq
http://www.kucinich.us/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3096

H.CON.RES.197 (Rep. Barbara Lee) opposing permanent bases in Iraq
http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/issues/bills/?bill=7937226

H.RES.363 (Rep. Rush Holt) for all documents on the outing of Valerie Plame
http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/issues/alert/?alertid=7950361&type=CO

H.RES.375 (Rep. Barbara Lee) to determine whether the Downing Street Memos are accurate
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/902

p.p.s. We have over 23,000 signatures on our impeachment petition:
http://elandslide.org/elandslide/petition.cfm?campaign=impeach

This is the fundraising letter that prompted by reply above.

From: Leader Nancy Pelosi, DCCC
To: Bob Fertik
Subject: Finally, the truth about Iraq
Date: 23 Aug 2005

Dear Bob,

"What we expected to achieve was never realistic given the timetable or what unfolded on the ground... We are in the process of...shedding the unreality that dominated at the beginning."

Unfortunately, this statement didn't come from President Bush or Defense Secretary Rumsfeld or Tom DeLay or any Republican in Congress, but an anonymous, senior official.

The truth is despite the rosy pronouncements by the President and the Republican majority, the situation in Iraq is not improving and the insurgency is not in its "last throes."

And American soldiers, newly-recruited Iraqi security forces, and Iraqi civilians continue to be killed at an alarming rate.

Meanwhile, Tom DeLay and the Republicans in the House just continue to give the President all the money he asks for without demanding a plan to get out or an explanation of why so little progress is
being made.

Donate now to elect a House that will hold the President accountable!
https://secure.dccc.org/coverupcongress/?id=08232005_cms_2k5opener_dc3f

Only with a Democratic majority will this Administration be held accountable and be forced to answer the tough questions, such as:

- Who's responsible for the faulty intelligence that claimed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction?
- What's the standard for success and how will we achieve it?
- How long will American troops be in Iraq and what's the plan to bring them home?

Despite what the Republicans want us to believe, it is patriotic to ask questions and expect our government to be honest with the American people. Holding open, honest Congressional hearings will help
America support our troops by demanding the accountability they deserve. Lives have been lost, billions have been spent and the American people deserve answers now.

If you want the truth, click here to elect a Democratic majority to demand accountability.
https://secure.dccc.org/coverupcongress/?id=08232005_cms_2k5opener_dc3f

Democrats are committed to actually making our country safer instead of just saying it. Right now, Democrats are on the forefront of the legislative fights to protect our troops and care for our
veterans as Republicans refuse to provide adequate health care for our National Guard and Reserve and won't provide the resources necessary to help our troops when they return home. In recent polls,
more and more Americans are expressing growing concern over the situation on the ground in Iraq and saying they disagree with the Bush Administration's claims that everything is fine.

In fact, it seems like the only people who aren't worried are the Bush Administration and Republicans in Congress.

We applaud the Iraqi government that was elected to write a new constitution and the Iraqis who are joining the security forces and working to re-build their country. But the lives of too many Iraqis
are full of water shortages, electrical outages, bombs and news of assassinations.

It's clear that the Bush Administration planning underestimated the resistance and problems that American troops and Iraqis would face. What is not clear is why our plans haven't changed and why
President Bush and the Republican majority in Congress refuse to acknowledge the current reality in Iraq.

If you want to hear the truth, help elect Democrats!
https://secure.dccc.org/coverupcongress/?id=08232005_cms_2k5opener_dc3f

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi
House Democratic Leader

P.S. Until we break the stranglehold of Republican control of both the White House and Congress, we are never going to get answers. Electing a Democratic majority in 2006 will ensure that the
President Bush can't ignore the majority of this country who disagree with the way he has conducted the war.