After reading your thoughts on his Iraq vote, Jerry posts the 164th comment...

Congressman Jerry McNerney, at home getting some rest from a schedule that requires him to often work around-the-clock, seven days a week, spent some time on his home office computer today reading the blog comments you posted about his vote to deny President Bush another blank check on Iraq.

After digesting our community's collective response, he posted the 164th comment of the thread as a general reply to your thoughtful and insightful feedback:

I want to thank everyone for your comments.

About the recent supplemental spending vote, as you know I too was disappointed that the bill came forward for a vote. I voted against the bill and against the rule for the vote.

The problem is that the Senate needs 60 of 100 votes to pass, and they just don't have 60 votes for a strong bill. So the choice in the House is to take the Senate version or nothing. I would have preferred nothing, but the leadership felt it was necessary to give the President something he could sign.

Please don't get too discouraged. In the Vietnam war, it took 23 votes to end the war against a reluctant President. We've had four. We will end this thing -- within the Constitution.

I want to say that Memorial Day is here, and we do have a need and a duty to remember and respect the people who have sacrificed for our country: both those who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who returned.

I remain proud to be an American, proud of the great things our country stands for and has accomplished. I am also very concerned about where we are headed, and continue to do my best to preserve the best of our nation, while adjusting to this dynamic and beautiful world.

Have a wonderful and thoughtful weekend.

Jerry McNerney

If you would like to continue the dialogue with the Congressman, please post your comment to this blog entry by clicking "Comments" below.  We will encourage Jerry to read your thoughts as soon as he is able to do so again.

Eden w/ McNerney for Congress

Comments

[Alice Wonder]

After six years of the worst president in history, things were getting very depressing. But McNerney's win, and more important, Pombo's loss, gives so many of us renewed faith that maybe sometimes the political system actually works, that the common people can have their voices heard, and that the exploitative corporations don't entirely run the show in Washington, as hard as they try to.

[David Brawn]

Jerry McNerney is being sworn in as Congressman for the 11th District of California. After six years of the worst president in history, things were getting very depressing. But McNerney's win, and more important, Pombo's loss, gives so many of us renewed faith that maybe sometimes the political system actually works, that the common people can have their voices heard, and that the exploitative corporations don't entirely run the show in Washington, as hard as they try to.

[fordavidbrawn]

Jerry McNerney is being sworn in as Congressman for the 11th District of California. After six years of the worst president in history, things were getting very depressing. But McNerney's win, and more important, Pombo's loss, gives so many of us renewed faith that maybe sometimes the political system actually works, that the common people can have their voices heard, and that the exploitative corporations don't entirely run the show in Washington, as hard as they try to.