From Jerry: "After the Iraq vote: A time for courage, vigilance and action"

This is a time for courage.

This morning, you woke up to the unfortunate news that a "compromise" bill was passed in Congress last night giving President Bush a blank check to continue waging the war in Iraq.

As you may know, this supplemental funding bill did not include:

1. Enforceable benchmarks.

2. A reasonable timetable for withdrawal.

3. Any requirement to initiate a diplomatic strategy to end this conflict (a primary recommendation of the Iraq Study Group).

4. Provisions to ensure that our soldiers are prepared, rested, and ready to wage this war as safely as possible until it is brought to an end.

Without these fundamentally important conditions, I could not vote for this bill. With a heavy heart, I voted "No" because I cannot, in good conscience, grant President Bush another blank check.

Beyond my insistence on the necessity for diplomacy and the proper care and protection for our troops and veterans, I have consistently called for real benchmarks and a reasonable redeployment timetable. This bill provided neither. That's why it was a blank check to the President.

This is a time for vigilance.

While you may be disappointed, as am I, in the failure of this legislation to hold President Bush accountable and move in a new direction in Iraq, I also believe now is the time to recommit ourselves to our community's resolve to end this conflict as soon as possible and as responsibly as possible.

We owe it to the men and women, the sons and daughters, the brothers and sisters, the fathers and mothers who are laying their lives on the line every day, halfway around the world.

Last night, by voting "No" on this historic bill, I exercised the solemn power you helped give me by electing me to Congress. Now, I want to encourage you to exercise your power to make a profound difference yet again.

This is a time for action.

On Memorial Day, I will be emailing you with a very important request -- a request that I know will have a deep impact on the very people who are willing to sacrifice their lives in service to our country.

Please open the email you receive from me on Memorial Day (or when you return from the holiday weekend) and, together, let's do something truly significant to contribute to the healing of our nation.

Thank you, again, for everything you continue to do.

P.S. If you would like to express your opinion on my vote against the Iraq supplemental funding bill, please post a comment on my blog. I really enjoy hearing your feedback, so please consider sharing your thoughts with me and our community by clicking this link. I will be sure to read your comments when I return to our district this weekend. 

Comments

[Joseph Hearst]

Well Done!

[Steve Pollaine]

Way to go, Jerry, I'm glad you voted against the bill - you took a stand for what is right.

[mediapolitic]

While I too am disappointed in our Congress in its failure to hold the administration accountable, I was pleased with your vote.

Getting out of Iraq, along with alternative energy actions that reduce our dependence on enemy-provided oil are my biggest priorities and you are a leader on both fronts. As a result, I donated additional money to your re-election campaign (I know its early) but I believe that positive actions speak louder than negative words.

[Terrence A. Beard]

I am bitterly disappointed in Congress' performance, and the fact that the slaughter in Iraq will continue, enabled by Democrats who are either too stupid, corrupt and/or ignorant to stand up for what a majority of the American people want - and end to the occupation.

Congratulations to Jerry for having the courage to vote against this toxic bill.

[Jim Hannon]

Thank you for trying to hold the President accountable and not giving him a blank check.

You voted the only reasonable way you could.

Thank you!
Jim

[Robert Becker]

Good show, Jerry! You are staying the right and moral course to end the war. You are fighting the true enemies of peace here -- so we don't have to fail fighting the wrong enemy over there. You are supporting democracy here -- rather than the illusion of it in Bushland, aka Iraq.

I appreciate that you do not see one vote as simple winning or losing, but stages on the path to abandoning the madness of targeting victory in Iraq. Until we overcome Bushthink, the terrorists will continue to count the victories. It's amazing what our stupidity hands vicious terrorists on a plate.

Keep the faith as you have kept ours.

[Joy Montgomery]

Thank you for voting against another blank check, Jerry. We need to elect more people who have the courage to say "NO!" when they see wrong being done.

[david]

Thank you for your "no" vote on funding for Iraq. Public opinion is solidly against continuing this conflict, where we are creating new enemies faster than we can defend against them. I applaud your moral and political courage.

[Karenna]

Thank you, Jerry, for walking your talk (And voting NO on the Iraq bill). THank you, that's all.

[Forrest Tanaka]

I often hear that Americans voted for change in November 2006, and it was certainly true for me, a political conservative who has felt betrayed by the Republican party. Yet aside from holding people like Alberto Gonzales accountable for their past actions, I see little change, and this is confirmed by this latest action by congress. I completely support your voting against this legislation, and appeal to you to continue to vote for what's right over what's politically expedient. I hope that Speaker Pelosi will one day see her that political expediency does not pay, or will pay for not seeing this.

[sfliberal]

Thank you Jerry for doing the right thing and voting NO on this Iraq funding bill. This war needs to come to an end. It is a waste of money and lives. Supporting the troops means bringing them home not funding this War more so they can continue being in harms way for Halliburton profits.

I'm very proud of you. If only there were more people in Congress like you.

[Ed]

I applaud your courage and consistency. I supported your election because you promised change. Making change happen is hard and requires perseverance in the face of difficulty. We must redirect our nation's efforts away from endless war and towards building a better society for all.

[Mike Keough]

Jerry, I spent an hour last night writing bitter notes to the Democrat leadership, asking them quite sincerely, to just quit. You did what we elected you to do. Sometimes you sound apologetic. Stop it. You are doing exactly what we voters want. Peace Brother and have a happy holiday.

[barbara]

i am very concerned that you voted gainst the mcgovern amendment and am worried that you, like too many other elected officials, will start choosing expediency over principle and moral courage.
more than a million iraqis have died as the result of what congress has allowed this nation to get away with. (i'm including the 500,000 or so who died during the embargo during the clinton years.) why isn't anyone in congress bothered by this?
why didn't the house simply refuse to vote on this latest outrage? we already have the money to bring the troops home. the vote was therefore not only a vote for more killing and slaughter but completely unnecessary.
i am beginning to worry that this congress isn't really concerned.

[Denise]

Jerry,

Thanks for doing what the American people want all of their senators and legislators to do.

We are in Iraq because they have oil and we want it. Simple as that. 9/11 and wmd were execuses this administration made to invade and now they look like they are going after Iran's oil as well. Please hold fast to your convictions and don't be bought as so many seem to have been.

We must look to alternative energy, conservation, and saving this planet.

As a supporter of our troops, I know I can support them best by bringing them back home.

[Ralph Britton]

Jerry,

I share your concern. I can't see that shutting off funding is going to work. Bush is stubborn and he listens to Rove & Chenney. But Gates and Petraeus show signs of intelligence and concern. Congress might be able to work through them to arrive at the least bad alternative in Iraq. And congress did deliver a message of displeasure, for what that is worth.

[Dale Geist]

You did the right thing. Our next fight must be against branding true patriots like you as being "unsupportive of the troops." It simply isn't so, and we need to fight that kind of McCarthyism with everything we can muster.

[David Fredericks]

You did the right thing by voting against this bill. Too bad more Democrats didn't have the backbone to do the same.

Supporting the troops is bringing them home.

[John Pietrzyk]

Jerry,

You did the courageous and right thing. But this courage still remains on the ground floor. Question: At what point can we transition this 'Democrat-based courage' to the next level: holding Bush and top administration officials legally responsible for initiating and fueling the mayhem now consuming Iraq and its people?

[Ruth Sherer]

Thank you for your vote against the Iraq bill. I wish I were in your district; I live in San Mateo and supported your fight against Pombo. Carry on the good fight! Ruth

[Jamie Davis]

Please explain to me how the law, HSPD 20, that President Bush signed it on May 9th is a good thing. I would really appreciate you looking into this issue. I think it is a clear abuse of power.

Thanks for voting no and trying to do what is right.

[Rob Klein]

Jerry, we're proud of you. Hope to see the Party leadership following the example you set. You are being the leader, not them!

[Ruth Sherer]

Thank you for your vote against the Iraq bill. I wish I were in your district; I live in San Mateo and supported your fight against Pombo. Carry on the good fight! Ruth

[patrick johnston]

Jerry, your vote on the war funding bill is a courageous decision. I trust your judgment as the Demcratic Congress works to bring the Iraq War to an end. patrick.

[Bruce Joffe]

Thank you for showing the courage to vote to end funding of Bush's disasterous war. I know that you and your fellows support our troups in the most sincere of ways: by calling them back from a dangerous, fool's errand; and by increasing the funding for the health and veterans' benefits to which they are deservedly entitled.

I hope you can prevail on others in your party, as well as some Republicans, to follow your lead.

[Dave Kroske]

Jerry:

Thanks for having the courage that, unfortunately, so many of the Dem. house members did not. Very disappointing that political positioning is more important than speaking (and more importantly VOTING) truth to power.

Cheers to you on your vote not to continue 'the blank check'.

Also, I look forward to meeting you this Saturday at noon at Aldino's Pizza here in Discovery Bay. Thanks for keeping in touch with the voters!

Dave Kroske

[Jane McCoy]

Jerry, it gives me hope that at least some Democrats voted against another blank check. Please continue your great work. I am very concerned about oversight....on the war contractors, our Justice Department corruption, our belligerant attitude towards Iran, and our dependence on foreign oil and the environment. Thank you for standing up for your convictions. Maybe others will be strengthened by your courage.

Jane

[Paul Malikowski]

Good afternoon, Rep. McNerney:

I have been an out-of-state supporter of yours from the beginning. Thank you for validating my trust. Unlike the Nevada congressional delegation which purports to represent me and the majority of my State's citizens, you have voted for America, your district, and for common sense. It is obvious to me that your victory over Mr. Pombo was a result of expressing your thoughts clearly, and acting on your word consistently. Whatever it is you have, would you kindly pour a liberal amount of it in the Democratic watering trough in Washington, DC.

[Caroline Marshall]

Jerry, Thank you for your courageous vote against the Iraq War funding bill. I wish more people in Congress had your backbone.

[art madrid]

Thanks for showing so much courage. Now I know why the voters gave you the right to represent us. You're looking real great. Keep up the good fight.

[Neferetiti]

How can we send congrats when things are worse and there is no end to the spiral in sight? It seems similar to paying a CEO a huge bonus for mismanaging a corporation. This war was bulit on lies, it drains our resources and kills our military people and the Iraqui citizens. It needs to end rather than escalate. We have a CEO president out of control and elected congressional representatives who are ineffective in restoring civil liberties or a balance in government.

[Ray Lozano]

Come on! Stop the insanity! Let's stop pretending that passing these funding bills is somehow beneficial for our troops. The only people who are benfitting from the continual funding pipeline are DICK Cheney, his buddies at Haliburton and the private mercenary armie's in Iraq. It's time for Congress to start acting like they've got a pair and "JUST SAY NO!!!" Everytime George W. Vietnam-Dodger Bush asks for money for Iraq, "JUST SAY NO!!!" What's so hard about that? The VAST majority of American's want our troops brought home. Congress needs to get their rears in gear and stop pandering to the cameras, television networks and the few, crazy gun-toting Americans who would gladly sacrafice their own mothers to support this war. WE put you there Mr. McNerney. Thanks for voting "NO", but moral victories are not enough. Bring our men and women home now! Let the Iraqi's run their own country. As long as we are there to do all the hard work, what incentive do the Iraqi's have to get off their duff's? Absolutely none. Iraq is a joke and we've already sacrificed way more American lives and money than we should have. "Stand up so we can stand down?" I'd like to see the Iraqi's just plain SIT UP! It's over. The fat lady has sung.

[Sally Woodard Sheridan]

Thank you for your courage. It must have been very difficult. You did the right thing. Stay strong. It is going to take us a long while to get out of the tragic mess we have made in Iraq. This is a step in the right direction. As disappointed as I am in the Dem leadership, I have to believe they had some reason to cave in. I am not losing faith that the people in this country are finally coming out of their coma.

[Peter Bowen]

Jerry,
I'm out of the country and didn't know how you voted. I feared you may have buckeled under the pressure and was prepared to be angry. It may have been a tough call. Now, I know what kind of man was elected.

The insanity has to be stop.

Thank you.

[Steve Evangelou]

Jerry,
I have asked Democratic leaders why the party could not again pass a bill that includes a timetable. They could defend it with a simple statement: "We'll continue to pass a funding bill that requires the president to start bringing the troops home. If he vetoes the bill, he is the one who is cutting off funding."
Still, it's a sign of progress that many members of Congress voted, as you did, against continuing Bush's disaster in Iraq.

[George Reid]

Congrats on displaying integrity with your vote against funding the escalation of the Iraq War/Occupation. The Republicans invoked the tired excuse of 911 to keep expanding the Iraq War; but if that is true why not move the troops from Iraq to Afghanistan (or the Pakistan border) and capture Osama bin Laden??
Jerry, I suggest that every day you or someone in Congress enter into the record the number of days that Osama bin Laden has avoided capture since the attacks of 911. Bush/Cheny & Co. have done a poor job on national security.
Americans sent a message loud and clear in November 2006; the message was to end the Iraq War. Sentiment against the war is even stronger now and Congress should be acting to end the war ASAP. Support the troops by keeping them out of a Mideast Civil War.

George Reid
Pleasanton

[Susan Chacin]

I'm very glad you did the right thing, Jerry. Now how can your supporters who agree help talk to constituents who may have a negative reaction? I don't want to wait until campaign time to address your district's voters who still think $ for the war supports the troops or any of the other lies the White House is putting forth!

[Kevin Malone]

Thank you for your vote!

The other dems who caved on this issue need to contact the family of each soldier who dies between now and when we leave Iraq to explain what each soldier died for!

[Anthony]

Jerry,
Although I do not agree with everything you do or say, I have tremendous respect for someone who sticks to their beliefs. I do not agree with the course our nation has followed in Iraq, but I do believe we need some flexibility. Nevertheless, our district chose you to represent us and we trust in you to do what you think is right.

[Gloria Donohue]

Dear Congressman McNerney,

Thank you for standing up and voting against the Supplemental Funding Bill.
Although, I don't live in your district, I did donate to your campaign against Pombo.
Thank you for not making me feel sorry about those donations as several other Democrats have.
You did the right thing by representing what the vast majority of Americans want: our troops home ASAP and our occupation of Iraq to end.
Again, thank you.

[Robert Hammel]

Thank you for your no vote!

[Craig Rabinowitz]

You did the right thing. Now talk to Greg Palast, internationally noted journalist, who claims to have hard, material evidence directly linking Karl Rove to voter fraud on the basis of Monica Goodling's testimony this past week before Congress. It's time (actually long overdue) to begin to take these guys down, for crimes unparalleled in our nation's history.

[Woody]

Way to go Jerry! I knew you would do the right thing. I'll bet your sky-pilot son agrees!
You are doing great - I am proud to know you.
Now about that alternative energy thingy ...

[Emily Duffy]

Jerry,

I'm deeply grateful that you've remembered how we feel about this terrible war here at home. Keep up the good fight in DC and keep speaking out for the majority of America...end this war!

[Carole Petersen]

This is why I voted for you. I knew you have the integrity and guts to fight for a change. The govenment in general is so corrupt and self-indulging. I can't believe this administration defied everything that America stands for. Thank you for voting no. Thank you for your hard work and taking a stand. Thank you fighting for America and our troops. I am hoping the American public wakes up and pay attention to what is happening to this great country. I have to wonder.

[Daniel Tamm]

Thank you for voting "no" on a meaningless spending plan for Iraq occupation.
The reality is that if we were to do the right thing in Iraq, it would still be highly expensive. Only that spending would be devoted to reconstruction (along with other nations), reconciliation efforts between Sunni's and Shiites, regional diplomacy, re-building of societal infrastructure to bring back the Iraqi middle class professionals, fortifying the Iraqi military and helping to establish an acceptable international peacekeeping force to deal with unwanted al-queda elements, and the safe, orderly withdrawal of all American troops by the end of 2007.

I recommend that you and staff examine Rep. Lyn Woolsey's H.R. 508 which deals with all of the above.

All the best,

Daniel Tamm
CDP Executive Board
40th AD Representative

[John Little]

Thank you for voting your conscience and my heart.

[Wm Evans]

Thank you for your courage. The Congressional leadership should not have given in. Now we may have to wait until Jan 2009 to start bringing our forces home from a civil war.

[JoshA]

Congressman, thank you for your "no" vote. It takes a brave person to stand up and do what's right when he knows the result will be constant attacks by the rightwing pundits.

[Elaine Baldwin]

Thank you, Jerry, for your courageous vote, and I know that indeed you cast it with a heavy heart. It is so discouraging to see the President proceeding as though Nov. 2006 did not happen, but it's no surprise if Congress will not stand up to him. Please keep pressing for real benchmarks for the Iraqi government to achieve, a real timetable for deployment of our troops, and diplomatic efforts in line with the ISG recommendations. I also want to thank you for recently suggesting that the Livermore VA system focus on PTSD...such an important problem for many, many veterans.

[Janine]

Thank you for remembering what the voters want--to get out of Iraq! I was just about to look up your vote online when I saw your email and am so glad you haven't forgotten us, Jerry. This spending bill is a terrible betrayal by the Democrats of the will of the people and only buys more time to ruin more lives of our troops and their families, not to mention the suffering of the Iraqis. It also tells George W. Bush that he can get what he wants from the new Congress after all while he has only a 27 percent approval rate by the American people. What can the Dems on The Hill possibly be thinking?! And imagine what the Iraqis and the rest of the world are thinking about this vote.

[Alan Wagner]

Voting not to give a single dime towards this OCCUPATION of Iraq is the only conscienable thing to do. That's what the American people voted for in November, so continuing to fund Iraq would be a betrayal of our vote and a campaign pledge you made. Voting to bring our troops home IS supporting our troops. I appreciate your vote.Shame on those who even allowed this vote to come up. Thank you Jerry.

[Alan Wagner]

Voting not to give a single dime towards this OCCUPATION of Iraq is the only conscienable thing to do. That's what the American people voted for in November, so continuing to fund Iraq would be a betrayal of our vote and a campaign pledge you made. Voting to bring our troops home IS supporting our troops. I appreciate your vote.Shame on those who even allowed this vote to come up. Thank you Jerry.

[Linda Cetrulo]

Thank you for having the courage of your convictions, for doing the right but not the easy thing.

[cdhowells]

Congressman McNerney,

I am deeply appreciative of the courage you showed yesterday with your nay vote on the supplemental. I am proud to call you my representative. I spent countless hours going door to door on your campaign and spoke to countless voters. We all wanted a change. You showed us with this vote that you are listening. Thank you.

CDHowells
Stockton

[Capt. Bob Morris]

Congratulations for voting against HR 2206. Our occupation of Iraq is a recruiting and training bonanza for al Qaeda.
We could assuage their rage a little by de-funding Israel's West Bank Settlements.
Muslims have other grievances against us -- but none so just, so
inflammatory, and so easily redressed as those Settlements.

[Swanee A. Edwards]

I too, like many others, applaud your courage and thank you for standing firm and having our voice heard by voting NO! We, in the South Bay, (Santa Clara County) have overwhelmingly reaffirmed our support for you, and the work you are doing for CA CD-11! Now the real work begins and we are ready! Let's bring our troops home! Thank you again, Jerry for your courage and hard work. We are so proud of you!

Ever Onward!

Swanee Edwards
Morgan Hill

[Susana Lopez Krulevutch]

Thank you for having the courage to stand up for what is right. My niece's husband is presently in Baghdad. I fear that this administration's refusal to see the situation for what it really is, puts him and all other soldiers at higher risk. Although your vote might be "spun" to the contrary by Republican pundits, I know that your vote is in support of our troops and reflects what the majority of Americans want. We want this war to come to an end and our soldiers home.

[Joan Walsh]

Thanks for voting "no" on the Iraq bill, Jerry.

I say, let Bush get that veto pen out again and again so that the public can see that he alone is pushing this unwinnable war. Congress does not "owe" him money with no strings attached. He and the Republican leadership are presenting a false choice by saying that the only way to "support our troops" is to keep shoveling money into this quagmire.

Supporting our troops can mean bringing them home safely from a conflict that we should have no part in.

Thanks for voting this way. You are representing our views in Congress.

[Judith Papas]

Well done! You voted with your conscience.

[Vern]

While I agree with your vote and the urgent need to correct the Iraq mistake, passage of the funding bill is not a disaster. It merely recognizes reality, the constitution gives the President the authority to direct our military and the President was going to veto any bill with any shade of control over his discretion. Had congress insisted on a stalemate on the issue, Democrats would have been blamed for an Iraq mess and the death of American soldiers.

We need to make it crystal clear to all Americans that by the President's decision to ignore the will of the nation he has without a doubt made this his personal war. The Democrats tried to present a different approach, as they were asked to do, but instead of engaging with them to find a new way he rejected it. The blame for what is happening and will yet happen is squarely on him.

[Judith Papas]

Dear Jerry:
Good for you!!!!We are all proud of you1

[L Patotzka]

Thanks for doing the right thing, Jerry.

[Emory]

Thank you for having the courage of your convictions and honoring your campaign stance.

[Mary]

Thanks Jerry.I won't forget that you were one of the few to stand up against more money for this war, more money for more death. Your courage means so much to me.

[Jammie Schletzbaum]

Thank you for doing what every true democrat should have done. Thank you for saying NO to no time tables on ending this war. I am very PROUD to have voted and helped elect you as my representative.

[Sharon Snyder]

Congressman McNerney,

While you will no doubt be villified by some, your vote was courageous. Thank you for doing what you know is right, regardless of the possible political consquences. Any thinking person should realize that "supporting our troops" necessarily must involve discontinuing support for the Iraq war and getting the men and women who serve this country out of this Bush-created disaster. Shame on those who know the war is wrong but are afraid to take the risk of standing up to be counted against continued funding this debacle. Americans are aware that the war is being waged to the detriment of our soldiers and our national interest. How can Congress be so far behind the public? Thank you for your principled stand.

[Deborah Bochner Kennel]

I am another supporter who doesn't live in your district, but I supported you for all the right reasons, and you continue to prove that our commitment is/was justified. Please don't forget to push your speciality--renewable non-polluting energy that won't contribute to global warming.

[Deborah Bochner Kennel]

I am another supporter who doesn't live in your district, but I supported you for all the right reasons, and you continue to prove that our commitment is/was justified. Please don't forget to push your speciality--renewable non-polluting energy that won't contribute to global warming.

[Brian J Handel]

You have my support Jerry. The Bush administration has lied and mismanaged the war in Iraq. George Bush needed to keep the focus on Osama Bin Laden and the environment that has caused radical Islam to flourish. In 2008 hopefully America will change it's direction and focus on earth friendly energy independence which will keep global climate change in check and increase national security. This generation needs to make the world a better place for the next generation. Just like our parents did for us. God bless you and God bless America.

[Val Eisman]

An excellent vote Jerry. A vote of principle.

[James Barker]

Jerry, Thank you for voting no on the inadequate bill for funding the troops in Iraq. Voting for a bill without benchmarks and a provision withdrawal of our troops from Iraq is as irresponsible as Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld were in sending there over there in the first place. To sincerely give our troops the support they need would be to get them out of harms way by bringing them home and by taking care of those who have been disabled or seriously injured and to financially help the families of those who have been killed. Again, thank you Jerry for having the courage to vote no on the Iraq war funding bill and for refusing to continue to give Bush a blank check for his war in Iraq.

[Laine]

Thank you for doing the right thing by voting against the supplemental bill. Please continue your efforts to end the occupation in Iraq.

[Dennis Sweatt]

How is it humanly possible that this President has not been impeached is beyond my understanding.

How many reasons do we need?
How many laws must be broken?
How many times must our constitution be bent?

What is this party afraid of?

You are not delivering on the mandates that drove millions of voters to make a change in congress, for the betterment of the world!

The damage done by this administration will scar the reputation of America and the freedom we represent for years to come.

This administration has tortured, tainted, lied, languished and profited while good men have died and good soldiers continue to die. Please tell my children and their children that this isn't the America of their fathers and Grandfathers. Please teach the rising neo-con-artists that we will hold them all accountable.

I advocate the impeachment Of George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney.

Dennis M. Sweatt

[Patti H]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We elected you because we wanted CHANGE and someone who would stand up for their principles, and those you represent. This war is an act of aggression by our country and we should never have allowed it to begin with. We have created a quagmire of unspeakable horror and to spend one more penny to perpetuate it further is to fund more loss of life and symbolically give the stamp of approval to this war. Thank you for keeping hope alive that this country will show the world that we are NOT the war-mongering, macho, nation that George Bush has painted us to be.

[Brock Beard]

Atta boy, Congressman! Keep up the fight and don't give these Republicans an inch, 'cause the fight's not over yet!

[Darlene Snodgrass]

Many, many thanks for your courageous vote !!! It made me happy that I supported your campaign financially even though you do not represent my district, as I live in Palo Alto.

[Pamela de Maigret]

You did the right thing!

[Katherine Domeny]

It's all been said above. Thank you for voting you. We will prevail against this abomination.

[Susan GA]

A big salute of THANKS from this supporter in Columbus, Georgia. I have the great misfortune to be (mis)represented by loopy Lynn Westmoreland, a bird brain who still isn't sure about this climate change stuff, and boldly lead the charge AGAINST the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. *sigh* And he thinks Dear George is "protecting our freedoms in Iraq."

As a small group of us stand with our anti-Iraq war signs each Saturday out on Veterans Parkway, we see that even here in the home of Ft. Benning, the vast majority of people do NOT support this criminal war. Yes, we even see "thumbs up" from groups of folks driving by in uniform.

Your courage in acting to defend our military from the actions of this arrogant bunch of self-serving chicken hawks is to be honored. I know many military and their families have been hoping and praying for legislators of courage to act on their behalf.

Please keep up the good work. You represent so many more Americans concerned about this war and the environment than just your California Congressional district. You are our voice.

While you're Standing up for all of us, please become active in the move to impeach Bush Cheney Gonzales for all their many violations of our U.S. Constitution!

[Mal Domser]

Thank you for your courageous vote, in a district that is targeted as theirs on the next election. Continue your support for the troops and lets get the hell out of this endless conflict. My son is there and already has spent 23 months of watching the mayhem the Bush-Cheney leadership has created.

[op99]

Whoopdie freakin' doo. You voted "no" on the McGovern Get Out of Iraq (in 9 months) Bill a couple of weeks ago, which was within 43 votes of passing the House, caught hell for it from your disappointed contributors (like me), and then "bravely" vote "no" on this No Benchmark Occupation Funding Bill that passed by 2 to 1 anyway. That earlier vote might have made a difference if you and 42 other bait-and-switchers like yourself had voted as you advertised in your campaigns. Yesterday's meaningless vote turns out to be a get-out-of-trouble-with-your-angry-base do-over.

I see you are only passing through the love fest comments. Are you going to continue your cowardice and deep six this comment?

[John Maguire]

I live outside of your district, Jerry, but I did send some money to help you win your seat in congress. Your "NO" vote on the current budget bill indicates I spent my money well. I will continue to support your effort.

Thank you for supporting the troops in Iraq and the security of the United States.

[Fred Norman]

Congressman McNerney, Thank you for voting against the most recent supplemental funding bill. But more needs to be done. Regardless of your vote, the war continues. Soon there will be 4,000 American Troops dead, then 5,000. You must do more to stop this. Talk to your district. Get them to organize to stop this war. Be our leader in this, not just a quiet member of Congress.

[Karen Whittemore]

I am disgusted and angry with our Congress but very proud of Jerry Mc Nerney for voting "NO." Thank you for standing up to your beliefs. This war is wrong. George Bush should be impeached. Although we don't live in your district my husband and I supported your campaign. I am glad we did.

[Katherine Da Silva Jain]

Thank you for your vote against this illegal war.

I am concerned when I read reference to "benchmarks" because one of Bush's benchmarks is the privitization of Iraq's oil. That is really pouring gas on the flames for the Iraqi patriots and will only prolong our entanglement there!

Katherine Da Silva Jain

[Ernest Tufft]

Please do vote no on the supplementary funding. This sort extra funding for military is no at all unreasonable to deny, since it has nothing to do with veteran healthcare or salaries. The "best and brightest" in our military command need to understand that military results that take more than 4 years to acheive, and that cannot be sustained on a permanent basis is not acceptable military performance. Our soldiers in the field don't need to bear the brunt of the president's poorly conceived military strategies.

[Dante Atkins (hekebolos)]

I'm very impressed with the vote against the procedural rule, and I view it as a hallmark of the intellectual consistency on Iraq that you have maintained since your election.

Thanks for doing the right thing.

[James & Mary Renfroe]

We applaud your courage in standing up for your belief. I just wish others had displayed such courage. I thought we were wrong to invade Iraq and still feel so.

[Eric A. Meece]

Thanks for your vote against the blank check for Bush's war of destruction

[albert slendebroek]

Thank you Jerry a million times. And I would echo a previous question: what is Congress afraid of? These turkeys should all be behind bars. Impeach, impeach.

[Joan McIntire]

Thank you so much for voting no on this supplemental funding.

I have heard that one of Bush's "benchmarks" is for the Iraqis turn over a majority percent of their oil industry to American oil companies. We absolutely must stop this. Not only is this a foreign relations disaster, it may even be a significant part of the reason Bush is insisting on the "surge." Remove the oil deal, and maybe Bush will be more ready to leave Iraq.

[Brian]

Thank you for your courageous vote!

Do press for ways to END this conflict!

Do remind your critics on ways that you DO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS and not failed policies of the current administration.

[Joseph Holmes]

Well done!

[Igor Zbitnoff]

Congressman McNerney -

As a supporter of yours in the '06 election I was disappointed by your vote on HR 2237. However, you were redeemed with your vote on the latest Iraq War funding bill. May your redemption be an example for some of the 86 Democrats who voted for this funding of the Iraq War. And Republicans for that matter too.

[Nathalie de la Roziere]

Thank you for holding true to your beliefs and for not selling out. What a bitter disappointment all these elected democrats who voted yes are. Evidently they do not care about how the folks who elected them feel about this war. I am relieved that you do

[emily]

I was very very dissapointed and actually angry with congress but THANK YOU for voting no, I now remember why I volunteered all those hours at the Stockton office during the campaign, and you can count on me to do so again in 08. Thanks again for voting no.

[Beth]

Thank you, Congressman McNerney, for proving to be being the representative I believed you to be during the campaign. We need another 100 or so citizens of your caliber and integrity to step up like you do and we might yet get this country back on track.

I'm going to the donate link next.

[Keith Barton]

Thanks, Jerry, for voting against the revised supplemental bill. We need to leave Iraq and spend the money being wasted on war for projects to address poverty in Iraq, and much of the "third" world. Keith Barton

[Patricia Gracian]

Thanks Jerry!

THAT's why we got you in there!
You DO CARE and you DO what is right for all of us.

We HAVE to find the way to stop this administration from continuing its assault on other nations and on our own nation. We need to get them indicted and imprisoned.

The rest of the Democrats say they do not have enough votes to overcome vetoes. Yet they act blind, deaf, and dumb about the stolen fraudulent elections and about the theft of our votes through the use of electronic voting machines.

Jerry, please get all of our elected Democrats to focus on this issue. We are at the mercy of the electronic voting machines- which are controlled by Republican vendors and crooked election boards. We are also under assault in local voting districts. Here in San Diego, we have had our choice for Mayor denied, and Brian Bilbray installed into office for CA-50 before our votes were counted. Our democratically elected Secretary of State Kevin Shelley witchhunted out of office right after he decertified the voting machines. (He was later exonerated.) Schwarzenegger then installed an SOS of his own choosing- Brian McPherson- one that refuses to acknowledge the evidence of improper elections, and who has now brought in a Diebold operative - Deborah Seiler- as our new Registrar of Voters, coupled with a new Assistant ROV Michael Vu whom he brought from Cuyahoga County, Ohio, once he defrauded the Ohio voters.

There is an assault on American voting rights and no one is talking about it! We will be unable to elect candidates of our choice in upcoming elections unless a HUGE stink can be made about this.

Sorry to be so wordy.
Best, most up-to-date sites regarding the massive assault on voters countrywide are:
www.bradblog.com
www.blackboxvoting.org
and
Congressman Conyers

PLEASE help!

[Corey Cate]

Straight and Tall. Speak truth to Power.

[Eric Rader]

I was afraid that you would not vote, "NO". I am so glad that you did. The occupation of IRAQ can not be 'won' from an external force. The country was artificially put together of three religous groups who have been fighting forever. President Bush does not ever tell us what a victory in IRAQ would consist of. I believe we are there for another reason than to 'win'. It is time we leave, and support our troops by bringing them home.

[Melody Ermachild]

This vote is why I worked hard for your election. Wars are never easy to end. We will do it,together.

[John]

My faith in you has been amply rewarded by your vote against the occupation. Even though I left California 1 1/2 years ago and never lived in your district I was delighted in your decision to run against Darth Vader. I supported you in your recent congressional race, I support you now and I will always support you as you continue to fight these battles with clarity of purpose and integrity. We may lose individual battles, but with representatives like you in Washington, we WILL win back our country.

[Raymond]

Thank you Mr. McNerney for your courage and your vote. I don't live in your district, but I did contribute to help elect you last year. This vote you made makes me proud of the fact that I did support you. I spoke to the gentleman (I failed to ask his name) who answers your district office phone and found him to be very pleasant and understanding as I expressed my heated opinions the other day before the vote. I called back to thank him and you for your vote. I just thought I should make sure you know the fine staff you have helping you to represent your district in California. Again, thanks and keep up the good work you're doing back in Washington. With time maybe we can get a majority to stop this madness of occupying Iraq.

[Tom King]

Thank you for voting to hold the administration responsible. I'm sure it was a difficult decision, but the fundamental principle of accountability is the right basis.
Tom & Val King

[Thomas Fong]

Thank you Jerry for your courage.
I am bitterly disappointed with the Iraq funding vote.

I think the dems should have disputed the White House phrasing of the issues from the beginning: 'funding' does NOT equal 'welfare of the troops.' Otherwise, the previous $500 billion of funds would have our troops in superb shape right up to July 2007 when this new supplimental kicks in. The dems should have mounted a publicity campaign showing what previous republican funding actually did do for the troops: the complete ineptness leading up to 9/11/01, the lies and bullying to invade Iraq, the constantly shifting reasons for the invasion, the Tilman coverup, Guantanamo, Falujah, Abu Graib, the 100s of thousands of deaths of Iraqi men, women, and children, the mass exodus of remaining Iraqis from their own country, Walter Reed, and the Vet administration -- the entire arrogant, greedy, selfish thrust of the PNAC campaign: to gain control of the Middle East and control the oil. Just diagram out what portion of previous funding has gone to perpetuating the above causes and what portion actually goes to our Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy in Iraq and Aphganistan -- and not to the Blackwaters and other private military Bush has over there. Also, the dems need to work more closely, at the highest levels of dem leadership, with vets -- Wes Clark, Batiste, Eaton, Zinni, Scott Ritter,so on -- to expose the lie that 'Bush listens to his generals.'

Karl Rove has had his eye on the composition of the dem party from the beginning and he was able to steer the dems right into this funding situation. The dems need to take stock of their own situation and find ways of working together - DLC and Progressives and, at the same time, take stock of what Rove is up to -- because Rove's plans include a deadly detailed realistic view of the dems. Then the dems need to start a publicity campaign that shows the actual republican effort for what it is and at the same time shows what the dems are trying to do.

Thank you again, Jerry.
Please keep us up to date with the situation you are facing.

[Patricia Dwyer]

Good work!

I am so grateful that you are abiding by your conscience and campaign commitments. I will remain an ardent supporter.

[Frank Royer]

Kudos for voting your convictions, we share your stance and completly support your efforts. Frank & Marilyn Royer

[Kelly Taylor]

GOOD for you Congressman McNerney. I applaud your courage and conviction! Jerry Nadler (my district Congressman) also voted no and I am so darn proud of him and you and the other Mr/Ms Smiths in Washington who voted no -- you guys are my HEROS! Those who voted yes should hang out with people like you and Jerry Nadler and Senator Barbara Boxer to learn what true PERSONAL CONVICTION is all about.
Bravo Congressman McNerney. Well done!!

Best,
Kelly Taylor (Ms)
NYC, NY

[Txacoli]

Thankfully there are a few Democrats with courage and convictions. I am very grateful for your vote. Keep up the good work!

[Maire]

Thank you for your vote against funding this war!

I was so thrilled when you unseated Pombo last November that I phoned my mother in Seattle well before dawn (her time - I'm in Indiana,) and sang a victory song into her answering machine. You ended our national Pombo nightmare!

You have proven to be a terrific congressman - I wasn't at all surprised when you were rated #1 in Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriot campaign for the best new congressman. Congratulations - it is obvious you have fans all across the country.

Perhaps you represent all of us - all who care about the environment. You released us from the Pombo nightmare, and then turned out to be everyone's ideal representative.

Your voting record is one I wish we could achieve here in Indiana. Your district is very lucky to have you. I live in a town of die-hard environmentalists (we're a Kyoto city, if a small one,) and we'd welcome you as a liberator.

We are looking to you for leadership in the uphill battle for climate legislation, and to end this bloody conflict in Iraq.

Thanks for making a difference, and for your courageous vote.

[Marilynn B.]

Thank you for standing up for principles instead of political expediency. This is not about what will get votes for Democrats in 2008. It is about refusing to enable this regime's murderous policies for one more minute!

And to you Democrats who didn't have the guts to stand up to the Bush cabal: We won't forget your cowardice and selfishness!

[theresa Gerritz(Teri)]

Jerry,

thanks for your vote. I am so glad I was able to work for a candidate who votes a way i can be proud of. I just got back from India and Nepal and people there are aware of our political situation and want a change as well.

Teri gerritz (aka lady with the flower)

[Cynthia Neely]

Thanks for your "no" vote on the spending bill. We are privileged to have a congressman from our district who displays insight and courage. President Bush will be signing a bill that is in reality simply a death warrant for many of our brave troops who are caught in the midst of a brutal civil war.

[Anne Jones]

Jerry - Thank you for your "no" vote. I am disappointed that more Democrats didn't follow suit or that the bill didn't contain some definite benchmarks. We all should watch Bush like a hawk. Despite the lesson he should have learned here, he could still make plans to attack Iran, which scares me to death!

[Anne Jones]

Jerry - Thank you for your "no" vote. I am dissapointed that more Democrats didn't follow suit or that the bill didn't contain some definite benchmarks. We all should watch Bush like a hawk. Despite the lesson he should have learned here, he could still make plans to attack Iran, which scares me to death!

[Janet Weil]

Jerry, I was disappointed in your vote on the McGovern bill, but glad that you voted no on this latest pathetic war supplemental. Why does Congress never vote an "emergency" supplemental for uninsured people, or the illiterate, or children of prisoners, or women who want to leave prostition, or so many other social needs?! Oh, I get it: no huge profits for oil and other corporations in those projects! PLEASE speak out against the incredible waste, fraud and corruption of the war profiteers -- Blackwater, Halliburton, Bearing Point, to name just three. These vulture corporations are feeding off the death and misery of both Iraqis and Americans. Please do what you were voted in for: bring the troops home; reparations for the Iraqis; no Oil (Theft) Law.

[Daniel]

Dear Rep. McNerney:

I have been an out-of-state supporter of yours from the beginning. I have send you $$ every time your campaign needed it for your win in Nov. Thank you for validating my faith in you. Bravo for your courage and standing tall. Please lean on your other peers to get some resolve. Thank you for vote and patriotism!

[Vivian Richards]

Glad you placed your vote against the this bill. The Dems are a serious disappointment. I changed my party affiliation from Dem to Not Stating. I am not going to celebrate another holiday until the OCCUPATION of Iraq is over. We don't have a right to celebrate anything while our military forces are being abused by the madmen in power.

[Vivian Richards]

Kiss, Kiss, hug, hug, what a bunch of bull!

[Donna Struthers]

Thank you for voting no.
Please keep voting against our creep-in-chief and this absurd invasion.
Donna Struthers

[Richard Linville]

I am glad you voted against continuing the international terrorism, murder, and mayhem currently being committed by the United States against the people of Iraq. I am disappointed that you haven’t done anything noticeable to bring the brutality to an end. I guess the best I can say is that we the people of CA-11, through you, have not reauthorize the carnage, again.

[Phyllis Jardine]

Jerry, It's all been said--thanks for voting no on the funding bill. Maybe next time other Democrats will see the light and really try to end the war; that's what we hoped when we worked to elect Democrats.

[Susan VanKuiken]

Thank you, Jerry, for you vote against further funding of a war that is bankrupting our country morally and financially.

[Fred]

Thank you Jerry for having the good sense and courage to vote "no" on the foolish Iraq funding bill.

[Kerry J Ridgway, DVM]

I thank you very much for your vote. This vote really reflected who has the courage to do what is morally right, but also to listen to the will of the majority who want us out of this horrific and destructive war that Bush et al have lied there way into.

[Kerry Ridgway]

Kudo's to you. May Pelosi, Reid and Biden take a lesson in moral courage from you. May there be more Obamas, Dodds and Hilarys who also showed courage

Just also to let you know that not everybody in SC is a Bushite!

[Ruben Rodriguez]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
So many of us in your district are proud of you for having the courage to stand up to a president who is in complete denial of his disastrous policies in Iraq.

[Karen Shulman]

I don't get it. I don't understand what pressure congressman were under that made them buckle! Call me naive but the majority of America would have supported this messure. Why, what pork-barreling went on, that would cause a democaratic majority congress to vote this way? They gave this the administration exactly what they wanted. Please thank the congress for allowing more innocent poeple to die

[Mark Hommel]

I agree it is time to stop this oil and profit motivated horror. This war shows signs of bring great trouble to our shores for it is spitting the will of this immoral White House Branch and the will of the people. Do what you can to stop the Bush Cheney madness.

[Richard DeWath]

The best way to support our troops is to sometimes just say no. The troops need support and that means that they are not put in harms way without due regard and reason. This administration from day one has used the troops as a means to silence critics without accountability. Saying no now is saying enough is enough. Iraq was wrong, the troops need to know that they are important and not just cannon fodder.

This administration is without conscience or value and will continue to put troops in harms way until representatives like you make the hard choices they are too cowardly to make. Congressman McNerney, continue to make the hard and right decisions - that is why I voted for you.

[Jonathan Holtz]

Thank you for your vote. Sadly, not enough of you are in Congress.

[Steve Rosenblum]

Thank you for your vote against the continuing open ended disaster in Iraq.

[Cathrine Takazaki]

Bush's occupation of Iraq must stop. Every decision Bush has made has been wrong. Every prediction Bush has made has been wrong. Bring the troops home. Thank you for voting No to giving Bush another blank check to continue his occupation of Iraq. I can only hope the next time all the Democrats in the House and Senate say No as well.

[Barbara Dunton]

Thank you Jerry for being the man I supported and voted for!!

[Sane Gilles]

Thank you for your "no" vote on funding for Iraq.

Rove and company have again masterfully won the battle by framing the war as supporting the troops. The Democratic Leadership has failed miserably to set their own framing, being content with feeble attempts at containing the worst self proclaimed “Decider” in history. This approach is a non-starter.

The winning approach is readily formulated by the Presidential candidates Gavel, Kucinich and Ron Paul and a very few Senators and Congress Representatives: Denounce the US imperial ambitions to dominate the world by the sword and by economic warfare. Give up Iraq’s oil which is not yours to start with and deflate the overpowering military-energy industrial complex.

That will set you free to ACT on getting us out of the hell hole we created in Iraq, Democrats and Republicans alike. Democracy in this country is on its death bed and fascism is around the corner. But the Democratic Leadership is only interested in campaign money! Time to wake up! The public is way ahead of the politicians and will vote out those who keep using the troops as human shield for Big Business!

Impeach Bush, Cheney and Gonzales!

Unbelievably BushCo have the gall to blame the Iraqis for being slaughtered!

[Bill Stigile]

Thank you for voting what is really needed. You are not the usual person on Congress, Thank You!

[Sylvia Hamilton]

THANK YOU FOR HEARING THE VOTERS, FOR CARING ABOUT OUR TROOPS & THEIR FAMILIES & FOR HAVING CLEAR, FIRM CONVICTION. GREAT JOB!!! THANKS, Sylvia Hamilton

[Luke Cole]

Thank you, Jerry, for voting NO. No more blank checks, no more lack of accountability. I'm proud of your vote.

[R Marks]

After this vote I am more glad than ever that I supported your election. I am confident that you will continue to think and express yourself clearly and do what is right, not what is 'easy'.

[Karen Severud]

Thank you for your vote. If we
don't stand up to Bush now with his popularity at 28%, when would we stand up to him. It is a crime
about delalyed care that the vets are getting. Karen Severud

[Anthon Hahne]

I agree with your "no" vote on this bill.

[Gerald Price]

Thank you for voting against this illegal war which is totally based upon nothing but lies.

Now, please follow the constitution of the US and IMPEACH this crime family!

[Gloria Fearn]

Thank you Jerry. I'm so glad I voted for you. Your work on this war has just begun. In this democracy the wheels of justice often need lubrication and each new generation needs hands-on education. Having people like you as an example of what a committed citizen looks and sounds like gives hope for a brighter future.
Gloria Fearn

[Jesse Tieger]

Thank you for voting your (and OUR) conscience and standing firm in the face of little support. This is why I pounded the streets for you back in October and November.

Keep up the great work!

Jesse

[John tischhauser]

Jerry, I am delighted that you had the courage and wisdom to vote against the Iraq Funding.

You were not misled by the phony arguments that we can't let our troops down and can't cut off funding while they are in harms way. (So we go on funding the war indefinitely to Keep them out of harms way?)

Keep up the good work.

[Chesley Cochran]

Dear Jerry,

I am not in your district but I invested in you and the investment paid off for me, the nation and the world.

Okay, we didn't knock George over but the time is coming and you are making that happen.

Hang in there and do the right thing. Good luck.

Chesley Cochran

[Chesley Cochran]

Dear Jerry,

I am not in your district but I invested in you and the investment paid off for me, the nation and the world.

Okay, we didn't knock George over but the time is coming and you are making that happen.

Hang in there and do the right thing. Good luck.

Chesley Cochran

[lusandra vincent]

thank you very much! We appreciate your courage and vote for peace.

[lusandra vincent]

thank you very much! We appreciate your courage and vote for peace.

[Dave Kisor]

Since the Clown Prince George is not fit to command a rubber duck in a bathtub, let alone a country, I believe he should be relieved from office not only for the good of the country, but for the entire world. Worries that the Clown Prince's puppeteer, the Evil Dick would take the throne wouldn't be any worse than it is already, as he really is the president, while his idiot savant is just there for appearances. If congress truly cared and had a backbone, they wouldn't rush to a vote simply because of an impending 3 day holiday, especially Memorial Day. The Clown Prince bulldozed congress into giving him war making powers and it is high time congress developed a spine and took it away from him. The way that irresponsible clown uses congress the way my Panthercat plays with a mouse before she kills it shows he has absolutely no respect for congress what so ever. It wouldn't surprise me if The Clown Prince George views congress as 535 gerbils, prancing about and doing silly little stunts for his personal enjoyment, as he only uses congress when he wants the public to believe he is actually a president (hahaha, fooled you, didn't he!) and not a dictator. We need an amendment to prevent any potential candidate for president and vice president with vested interests in natural resources from becoming nominated, especially like a CEO, as it would present a major conflict of interests. Someone in that position would not serve the country, but the corporate. Sound familiar? I'm not in your district, but down here in the 44th, you have to find someone you can support.

[Al Odena]

Thank you Jerry for voting "NO" on this blank check. I'm disappointed in Hoyer, Emanuel and your other fellow colleagues who voted "YES."

[June Brumer]

Thanks for your vote. It's easy for reps from Oakland/Berkeley SF to vote as you did, not so easy for you out in your district. We really appreciate your courage, and will remember it when it comes time for you to run again.

[June Brumer]

Thanks for your vote. It's easy for reps from Oakland/Berkeley SF to vote as you did, not so easy for you out in your district. We really appreciate your courage, and will remember it when it comes time for you to run again.

[Sharon Chadwell-Phillips]

I knew you would always do the right thing, Jerry. I would like to volunteer as your Kansas campaign coordinator when you run for President!

[Hubert Russell]

Good vote. Now let's get Guantanamo closed and restore habeas corpus. I can see why other Dems voted "yes". The public has to write ltrs like this to their reps. P Clinton lost the Congress because he did the right thing in raising taxesbut the R "Noise Machine" convinced the public that P Clinton was wrong. Best.

[Diane Brinkmann]

Thank you for not voting for this bill. I know that this takes courage for you to do this. Keep up the good work and paying attention to what is really happening in Iraq. I agree with all of your reasons for not supporting this bad bill.
Thank you,
Diane Brinkmann

[DavidW]

Thank you for your vote against this blank check for the President to continue his senseless war.

However, I was very disappointed in your vote last week against the McGovern amendment to re-deploy the troops. Two major things people worked so hard for to get you into office were to end Bush's War ASAP with or without his cooperation, and to deliver on meaningful ethics reform.

The Republican frame of "the Democrats won't fund the troops" is, of course, nonsense. Please make as many public statements as possible about an executive run amok. Nancy Pelosi's statement on the original bill presented to the president was dead on: This bill fully funded everything the president asked for for the troops, it includes real support of the troops and their families when they return home, and it holds the president accountable to timetables that he himself promoted. Bush won't sign this because he doesn't want to be held accountable. (http://www.house.gov/pelosi/press/releases/May07/newiraq.html)

This was the bill that should have been sent back to the president again and again with every Democratic member of Congress telling the American people this simple message at every opportunity: "This bill funds the troops, but the president won't sign it because he thinks he is not accountable to the people."

And when the time comes to hold the president accountable, please vote for impeachment. The American people are with you on ending the war and ending this presidency. Don't believe the press, and especially don't believe the GOP.

[Rose Penelope Yee]

Thank you for remaining true to your principles! We need more people like you in public office. You have my support.

Keep up the great work,
Rose

[Melissa Farley]

Excellent vote, Jerry. Barbara Lee did the same thing a few years back and we'll never forget her courage, either.

[Ruth Kuftin]

You did the right thing! I appreciate your letter, and look forward to receiving more e-mail from you. Although I'm not in your district so was unable to vote for you, I've been a supporter ever since I first heard you speak. We need more Representatives with your integrity in Congress.

[Jerry]

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

[Martha Gamez]

With this vote, you make me exceedingly proud to be working on your campaign.

[Jeff Colvin]

Jerry, this one vote alone justifies my initial judgement of you as a man of principle, and justifies the hundreds of hours I spent helping to get you elected. Indeed, I like everything you have done since arriving in DC back in January. Keep up the good work, and let's talk soon about how best to reverse the serious damage done by the administration's privatization of the Labs --- your fellow Dem in CA10 has been a continual disappointment on this score, so would like to hear your views on how to get things unstuck.

[Mana-Jean Wagnon]

Thank you.

[amber jayanti]

Hi Jerry,
Am disappointed that you did not vote for the McGovern Bill. I contacted your office and was told me that "there were some things you did not like about the Bill." As it was our last chance to set a boundary on this tragic War, I would very much appreciate knowing what these aformementioned things were. Many thanks1

Amber

[Jacquelin Jones]

Very pleased with your vote. Thank you.

[Jooj]

Thank you Congressman Mcnerney!!!
Judy Williams

[Joyce Ellis]

Thank you for your vote, Jerry. Keep up the good work. When will the newly elected Congress get it that we wanted CHANGE instead of the same old rubberstamping this President's War? Believe me when I say that those of us who worked so hard this last election to bring about change are still able and willing to throw out the present incumbents if they turn a deaf ear to the mandate given them. Our patience has worn threadbare.

[Richard Lorenz]

My face is red and I'm completely embarrassed. Let me back up. I am a Vietnam veteran who came back from there very opposed to the war. I worked hard for anti-war candidates back then and put in many, many volunteer hours organizing and working for Gene McCarthy in 1968. I quickly became disillusioned with the process and had not done anything like that again until your recent campaign against Pombo.

I now have 2 daughters in their 20s and a 17 year old son. I have been very actively working and donating to anti-war and anti-Bush causes, however, I hadn’t volunteered to canvass for a political candidate since McCarthy.

I was taken by your straightforward and honest-seeming nature and very fed up with Pombo. The more I learned about you, the more I felt I could trust you and, in fact put my limited (and therefore precious) money and energy to work for you.

Now... the reason for my note. I was under the distinct impression that you had voted for the watered down (no firm end-date/ blank check for the Neo-con agenda) Iraq support bill. I felt betrayed and extremely angry. I felt I had been sucker-punched. So, I created a post to your blog in which I totally blew up and cursed you roundly. I insulted you in every way I could think of and called all of your virtue into question.

That is why my face is red. So this post is to apologize and ask that you understand the conditions under which my extreme reaction occurred. I hope and believe that you will continue to act according to your conscience and that your leadership will inspire others in your position to do the same. For my part, I will continue to support you in any way that I can, and will strive to research my facts more thoroughly before I launch.

Yours truly,
Richard Lorenz
Pleasanton, CA

[Ralph Occhipinti]

Jerry, thank you for voting NO!

War funding will again be an issue by late July, early August. The "Stay the Course Plus" administration will be asking for more funding, more troops and more time, to try and convince the American people they're making progress.

You voted NO now and please vote NO then. Be alert to something like, "the New Surge Extension or whatever will work if we're able to smart bomb targets over the Iranian border" a page from Nixon's strategy.

Let's send or troops home!

[TerriG]

I cannot fathom the concept that 86 Democrats voted FOR the bill. It is no great feat to vote for what you truly believe in, it's just doing the RIGHT thing. I hope you spend the rest of your days in office trying to LOUDLY voice your complaints to the 86 who DIDN'T DO THE RIGHT THING. This Bu$sh Admini$tration should not only be IMPEACHED BUT INDICTED!

[ACM]

Thank you for voting no - and for being who we hoped you would be.

[margot]

ignorant question, but how do I find out which way my congresswoman voted? I would like to see a list of all the votes if possible. thanks for your help.