I am writing to ask my fellow citizens to call the office of Rep. Tim Johnson and ask him to fulfill his campaign promises. During the campaign, Johnson said he wants U.S. troops out of Iraq “as soon as possible.” And yet, when presented with the opportunity to set a deadline for troop withdrawal, Johnson voted against bringing our troops home. He would rather tow the party line and do nothing while our troops are killed and seriously injured in the sectarian war in Iraq. The majority of Americans want our troops brought home safely now. But because of Tim Johnson’s vote, the President will be able to veto HR 1591, thus cutting our off funding for our armed forces and almost certainly extending the Iraq war into the term of the next president.

Mr. Johnson has a habit of breaking campaign promises. When first elected, he promised to limit his service in Congress to two terms. Now the first major vote of his fourth term has broken yet another promise; to bring our troops home safely “as soon as possible”. How much longer are we going to give Johnson a free pass? How many more troops have to be maimed or killed before he will do what is right? How much longer can the American people sit idly by and allow this travesty to go on?

Jeff Engstrom

alumnus ’05