The battle over war funding

Re “Gates warns of layoffs without war funding from Congress,” Nov. 16

I consider myself a conservative, but I’m also a union worker who wants our country’s leadership to give our troops the funds needed to exit Iraq as winners, not losers.

Please do not use the American military as pawns in a petty fight against the president’s policies. Members of Congress should not sit on their hands and watch us destroy the gains that have been made in Iraq.

Rod Ferroggiaro

Fairfield, Calif.

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Re “Antiwar bill passes the House,” Nov. 15

This was not an antiwar bill. It provides $50 billion to continue the war through February and does not “compel” President Bush to bring home the troops, even by the end of next year. The bill set December 2008 as a goal in the bill, and we know that goals are unenforceable and subject to evasion.

This was a Democratic ploy to appease the progressive constituents of the party while permitting the war to continue. The Democratic majority, if it were really serious about ending the war, could simply have refused to allow any war funding bill to reach the House floor. It was that simple. The will is just not there.

Norman and Betty Eagle

Oxnard