An Open Letter To Senator Amy Klobuchar

Senator Klobuchar~

It was both sad and disheartening to read that this week the United States Senate did not pass an amendment extending recovery time for our service men and women deployed in Iraq, but however did manage to pass a resolution to condemn MoveOn.org’s advertisement that questioned General Petraeus’s testimony on the continuing military debacle in Iraq.

Thank you for your vote on the failed amendment to grant respite to our troops in Iraq. However, along with sad and disheartening, it was also very surprising to see that you voted “yea” on the MoveOn.org resolution. 

While many people, including the President, have characterized the advertisement as an anti-patriotic act and a blatant smear attack on General Petraeus, the MoveOn.org ad makes several important points regarding the accuracy of the General’s reporting before Congress.  The ad also expresses dissent towards biased talking points continually used by the White House and its supporters, a dissent which is not commonly seen in major news media.  

It’s also quite alarming that you actually voted to publicly condemn criticism of a public official, especially the methodology and conclusions of a commander and supporter of what’s become one of the worst, if not the worst, military fiascoes in our country’s history and my generation’s destroyed political legacy.  

Since it is not election season, the advertisement was not surrounded by similar rhetorical campaigns.  Perhaps that is why you participated in singling it out.  But regardless of the sorry state of this nation’s uniformed and vitriolic political discourse, I would expect at least you, Senator Klobuchar, the sounder of my representatives in the Senate, to either support public questioning of General Petraeus or to not waste the time on the floor of the Senate to condemn it.