Senator Brownback: Baghdad is Waiting

From Senator Brownback's Iraq Album
Source: Wikipedia

Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas threatened Thursday to take advantage of a Senate rule to block the confirmation of Christopher Hill as U.S. ambassador to Iraq on the grounds that Mr. Hill misled him in promising to raise human rights in talks with North Korea.

The SFRC hearing on Ambassador Hill’s nomination is currently scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 9:30 AM, 419 Dirksen Senate Building.

Here is one letter for Senator Brownback that is percolating online. Note: I did not write this but Jezreel Q. Public’s argument request for reconsideration is reasonable and straight-forward.

Senator Sam Brownback
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6521
Fax: (202) 228-1265

RE: Confirmation of Christopher Hill as U.S. ambassador to Iraq

Dear Senator Brownback:

I am writing to request that you reconsider your decision to block the confirmation of Mr. Christopher Hill for the position of Ambassador to Iraq.

Mr. Hill"s a career foreign service officer who’s sufficiently qualified to serve as Ambassador to Iraq. His nomination is supported by Centcom commander Gen. David Petraeus, Gen. Raymond Odierno, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Also, former President George W. Bush found Ambassador Hill sufficiently compatible with his foreign policy goals for Korea and East Asia.

Mr. Hill has been nominated to fill a position that has been vacant since January. Filling the Iraq Ambassador's position is essential to completing negotiations of long-term leases for U.S. military bases and resolving the status of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. It is also essential to the process of withdrawing our forces and maintaining security in Iraq.

America has sacrificed our blood and treasure in Iraq for six years. The men and women of our military have voluntarily placed their lives in jeopardy to maintain our freedom and afford the right of self determination to millions of Iraqis.

Our military personnel in Afghanistan are in increasing danger because we do not have enough soldiers to shore up their military operations.

Blocking the confirmation of Ambassador Hill creates a power vacuum in Iraq at a time when our foreign policy should be centered on political stabilization and economic development over military missions. Moreover, your opposition to the President of the U.S. and to America's top defense and military leaders further compromises the safety of America's military.

Keeping a lid on growing political tensions in Iraq is essential to capitalizing on the effects of the surge. Yet, your opposition to Ambassador Hill's confirmation risks squandering the successes we've made since 2007.

I sincerely hope you will reconsider your stance on Ambassador Hill's confirmation.

I've done phone and email already and thought I'd pass this along. Feel free to cut and paste text of letter or forward to friends and relations in Kansas. Perhaps because this is Sam, this made me think of Dr. Seuss' cumulative tale of Sam-I-am. Below is my brief and sweet version:

Do you like senate holds and jams?
I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.
I do not like senate holds and jams.

If you don't like senate holds and jams
You may Email Sam - thank-you-man!
Go Email Sam, email Sam, stop the logjams!