Dear Lucas,
Bill also launched a new petition drive calling on the President to bring our troops home. Click here to be one of the first signers and forward this link to your friends and family: http://bit.ly/troops-home
As always, thank you for your support,
New Yorkers for de Blasio
by Ben Smith
One of the of the leading candidates to succeed Mike Bloomberg as Mayor of New York (in the post-Weiner era) will put out a statement today pressing for a faster withdrawal from Afghanistan, a hint of the impatience among Democrats on the war, and the political opportunity there.
Says New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio in a statement:
Last night's announcement by the President was a step in the right direction, but American families cannot afford to wait three more years to bring our troops home. We must withdraw our armed forces by the end of 2012 because the needs here at home are too great to allow for any other outcome. We have spent $450 billion on the war in Afghanistan and our brave troops and their families have paid an immeasurable price.
At the same time, America's cities have faced profound economic crisis. Here in New York City, we are poised to eliminate six thousand teaching positions, close fire companies, and cut child care for thousands of children -- with a continuing crunch in future years. The danger for the United States is not a military defeat; it is a slow bleeding of our economic vitality at a time when we can least afford it.
The only acceptable timeline is the fastest responsible withdrawal possible.