JOHN CARTER

This week we remember the brave men and women who lost their lives in the devastating terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. We remember the courageous policemen and firemen who rose to the call of duty on that day, and we remember the families whose grief has resurfaced with the memories of their lost loved ones. The total number of United States citizens killed in that single day was 2,974, the vast majority of whom were civilians, not military. They were not attacked by a country’s army. In fact, as we all remember, the attack was just the opposite. America was “sucker punched” out of the blue by a group of radical terrorists whose goal is to bring their violent way of life to our free country.

This great tragedy united our country in its aftermath, but has left us drastically divided on its meaning. It is sad that during this week of remembrance, liberal political group MoveOn.org “sucker punched” our own military forces by launching a personal attack on General David Petraeus, a respected U.S. Army figure who has dedicated thirty years of his life to the service. On the day General Petraeus delivered his congressionally mandated report to Congress on the progress being made in Iraq, MoveOn.org placed a full page advertisement in the New York Times accusing him of treason. The ad alleged, without evidence, that Petraeus would not give an honest assessment of the situation in Iraq, but instead would be “cooking the books” giving a testimony pre-spun and pre-scripted by the White House. To push the dagger a little deeper, the title of the ad was a pun on Petraeus’s name: General Betray Us?

I wonder how a group of American people could be so vicious towards a respected and credible general. After all, this man is a four-star general, a Princeton Ph. D, a recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Metal, and not to mention he has led our troops in the fight to protect our freedom, the very freedom that allows members of MoveOn.org the ability to speak so freely. To hear personal, intentional attacks like this on our military during the anniversary week of September, 11, raises one disturbing question. Why are we pointing the gun at our own soldiers rather than at the terrorists who killed so many innocent Americans? Because this attack on Petraeus was so public and so deliberate, it cannot be ignored by either side of the aisle. It is shameful and disrespectful, and any member of Congress, regardless of party affiliation, should denounce something so outright distasteful.

Despite the attacks, General Petraeus held his head high when he walked into the hearing room to deliver his testimony, seemingly unscathed by the ad. He delivered an honest, straight-forward assessment of the realities in Iraq. He discussed the importance of building on our current progress in Iraq and avoiding the consequences that would be sure to follow a precipitous withdrawal of support forces from the region. Not a single member of Congress wants to see our soldiers stay in Iraq one day longer than is necessary, and General Petraeus made clear his intention to suggest a modest drawdown of troop levels in response to the success that has been achieved.

After returning from my fourth trip to Iraq, I can testify that what General Petraeus reported about the significant progress is true. I have witnessed first-hand the American soldiers working with the Iraqi forces to bring their country to a more secure state. Our soldiers on the ground believe strongly in what they are fighting for and we should allow them the opportunity to succeed and return home.

General Petraeus is a man of integrity and he is doing exactly what Congress has asked him to do by delivering an honest report. His testimony reminds us that progress in Iraq has not come without a price. That’s why it remains more important than ever that Congress cast aside political calculations and work together for the security of our nation. We need to adopt a bi-partisan policy that is worthy of our troops’ continued sacrifice and consistent with their single minded determination to succeed.

A newspaper reporter once asked Sam Rayburn, “Mr. Speaker, you see probably a hundred people a day. You tell each one ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or ‘Maybe.’ You are never seen taking notes on what you told them, but I have never heard of you forgetting anything you have promised them. What is your secret?”

Rayburn carefully eyed his questioner and replied, “If you tell the truth the first time,” he replied, “you don’t have to remember.”

These words of the famous Texas Speaker who served for 48 years in Congress remind me of the importance of honesty, especially when walking up and down the halls of Congress. If all Members of Congress acted honestly and honorably, they would never need to cover their tracks.

For example, in an unprecedented move last week on the House floor, Democrats illegally maneuvered to reverse the outcome of a vote that would have blocked them from granting taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants. The vote which occurred late one night passed 215-213 in favor of the Republican motion to stop undocumented immigrants from receiving housing and benefits. However, a Democrat member from New York, who was presiding in the chair at the time, did not read the official vote tally, but upon a signal from his leaders, announced that the motion had failed. In the chaos that followed, three Democrats were strong armed into switching their vote so the official tally became 212-216.

These are the kinds of corrupt political tactics that people back in Texas are sick of seeing in Washington. The constituents of the 31st District elected me to represent them and fight to prevent their hard-earned tax dollars from being spent on benefits for illegal aliens. We won the fight last week, both Republicans and Democrats voted in favor of saving American taxpayer dollars, but Nancy Pelosi and her liberal allies maneuvered the vote illegally so that you, the American taxpayer, is now responsible for paying for benefits to illegal aliens.

I have long fought to secure our borders and punish those who would breach the security of our nation by coming into America illegally. This vote does nothing except encourage more illegal aliens to come to America, and why wouldn’t they, because taxpaying Americans will be picking up the check.

By illegally switching a vote that had already been won against their favor, the Democratic leadership has proven that they will go to any lengths to ensure that illegal immigrants take precedence when it comes to your money. Please know, that as your Congressman I will continue to fight on behalf of the good people of Central Texas to make sure this wrong is rectified.

As a Member of Congress I can tell you there is no bigger issue we face as a nation than the Global War on Terror. This war affects every American. It demands sacrifices from the men and women in uniform who so bravely risk their lives to defend the freedoms we enjoy today, and it affects the families of our military who send their loved ones to fight the battle. It is to these individuals that we owe our eternal gratitude.

This past weekend I flew to Iraq to visit the soldiers from Fort Hood who are stationed on the ground. I went over there expecting to hear and see the same things you have seen on television- explosions, bloody battles and soldiers who have given up on their mission. I was prepared for the worse news possible.

What I witnessed was the exact opposite. We have young men and women fighting on the ground in Iraq who believe strongly in what they are fighting. We have generals who believe in the missions and report that, although things look dire on an American television set, things are changing to our favor in Iraq. In fact, in all my conversations with hundreds of soldiers, the one thing they all had in common was their view on the war they are fighting. They believe they are fighting a war that is being won, and what discouraged them most was the war going on in Congress about pulling them out before they have completed their mission.

I am not a military expert, and neither is anybody in the Congress. I must add that I have been to Iraq four times since I was elected to Congress, and this was the closest I have been to the fighting. It was hot, windy and dangerous, and although I was only in Iraq for a weekend, I got a taste of the harsh conditions our soldiers are dealing with; and still they are dedicated to their mission. We are talking about 130 degree heat with the strongest wind you can imagine, and still their spirits were high. I tell you, Central Texas has some amazing men and women over in Iraq.

During my trip we made an unexpected stop in Ramadi to walk through a central market. If you recall, about eight months ago, Ramadi was said to be the most active combat zone in the entire country, but now it is a place where people can go and shop. It is still dangerous, but nothing compared to what it was eight months ago. Things are progressing.

What is making a difference in Ramadi is the Sunni population is now working with the Iraqi government and our military to point out terrorists. I might remind you that the al Qaeda are Sunni. Because of the success of our men and women in uniform and the brutality of the terrorists, the Iraqi people are beginning to trust their government and the Americans.

I believe in our servicemen and women and the American spirit they’re bringing to Iraq. Ramadi is proof that folks in Iraq are seeking peace and prosperity. With a little encouragement, and the strength to enforce laws, the prospect for a bright future in Iraq is looming. Calvin Coolidge once said, “The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.” I want those soldiers in Iraq to know that I have not forgotten about them, and I will continue fighting and praying for the mission they believe in so strongly.

One of the greatest protections our government can afford in an increasingly dangerous world is the ability to gather intelligence and use that knowledge to protect Americans from harm. Would any of us argue that it is not a dangerous world? The threat of terrorism is alive and real.

Sadly there are many in Congress who do not agree with our Central Texas commonsense. Recently, the House of Representatives discussed national security and the priority of intelligence-gathering as laid forth in the 2008 Intelligence Authorization bill. But you may be interested to know that this bill, crafted by Democrats, is bringing a new and more “relaxed” attitude to the intelligence community. An example: this bill requires the Director of National Intelligence to submit a report that discusses the effects of global warming and climate change. Does this sound like an intelligence function to you?

What this means in layman terms is that our finite intelligence-gathering resources – satellites, man hours, and taxpayer dollars – will be used to measure melting glaciers in summer time, instead of the threats being hurled at America by Osama bin Laden and his band of thugs.

The great value of gathering intelligence is that it allows us to thwart terrorist plans before they materialize. With that said, this vigilance is never done. We must be ever mindful of the threats that exist and take steps to prevent them. While things may appear calm on the surface, that is no reason to send our precious intelligence resources to Antarctica to research climate change.

This irresponsible interpretation of “intelligence gathering” is nothing new for liberals. President Clinton during his administration slashed funding for intelligence collection and analysis, but added money for frivolous projects such as the “DCI Environmental Center.” This center was notorious for wasting intelligence resources. The center diverted precious spy satellite time to survey the polar ice caps and sea turtle nests on beaches.

Similarly, this Congress is showing a preference for conducting “politically correct” intelligence. Those supporting this effort are the same ones who railed against flawed intelligence during the War on Terror, and yet their solution is to peel away valuable resources to study liberal priorities, like global warming.

In addition, the Democratic majority has also killed efforts to end – or in fact to even audit – wasteful spending funneled through the intelligence budget that could have been better directed to true national security interests. By shutting the door to fiscal restraint and accountability, liberals are paving the road to the “politically correct” intelligence community they’ve envisioned for decades.

America is at an important impasse of national security and partisan politics. One of these will protect us; the other will not. Spy satellites, intelligence analysts, and taxpayer dollars only go so far in the effort to protect us from another 9/11. Can we really afford to send some of them to Antarctica in the quest to measure glaciers? Make no mistake about it; the terrorists want another 9/11. With the Democrats’ plan – will we be ready?

Due to technical restrictions, Congressman Carter is unfortunately not able to directly answer questions posed on this forum.