As of today, we have been in Iraq for over 4 years. Our hopes and ambitions in Iraq have turned to bloodshed. And despite pleadings of many individuals, our country continues in a self destructive fashion on a war of no result.

The war is not a winnable one – we are not just fighting against insurgents – we are fighting against a people that want to be free. Iraqis do not want to be a puppet for the United States government. They deserve a chance to rebuild their country without the United States playing a heavy handed role in the country.

All of us want to things to turn out the best for the Iraqi people. We've spent a lot of money over in that country, and it's a legitimate for us to be concerned about the results. We've also done a lot of damage to the Iraqi people, and we must do whatever right for them.

I am encouraged by new leadership in our country, asking the hard questions of the administration that brought us into the war. It's not going to be easy to find solutions and to bring the troops home, but we must progress in that direction. And it seems the American public have spoken – and they want the troops home.