Another bad grade for war effort

Dear Congressman Roskam, October was the twenty-second consecutive month you have earned an "F" for failure on the Iraq war.

It was earned by voting for another $10 billion dollars to continue this military enterprise in which another 14 American soldiers died needless, senseless deaths. It was earned for funneling this enormous amount of borrowed money to continue the most self destructive military venture in American history while our nation's infrastructure languished from neglect, and our entire economy teetered on collapse. It was earned for refusing to address this war in any meaningful sense in your public pronouncements, your Web site, your entire first term as 6th District Congressman.

That, Congressman, is a breathtaking level of failure that should sicken and anger every sensible voter. Yet, just as breathtaking, is your genius for political survival with such a dreadful record, garnering 59 percent of the 203,000 votes to gain re-election for another two years. For the political acumen by which you achieved such an overwhelming re-election victory, you receive an "A."

That means in the 111th Congress you can vote to squander another quarter of a trillion dollars at the rate of $10 billion monthly to prosecute, not a war really, but the continued occupation of a once sovereign nation we invaded with lies, deception, fear and intimidation. That means America's infrastructure, health care system, educational structure, industrial base will continue to wither and possibly sink us to the level of other, once-great nations forever.

In what was the most hilarious aspect of your re-election campaign, you printed campaign literature and even set up a Web site linking yourself to our next president to bask in the glow of greatness he radiates so effortlessly. Linking yourself to Obama is a good start. How about emulating him as well?

Walt Zlotow

Glen Ellyn