Exhausted. I've noticed other yawners as I've gone about my day. There are a lot more tired-looking people out there than I normally realize.

Dear Mr. ________:

Thank you for contacting me about the war in Iraq . I appreciate hearing from you on the most important issue facing our nation today.

... On May 24, I voted against an emergency spending bill that allows the President to continue his one-man show in Iraq. I voted no because I believe that Congress must make it clear to the President that our commitment in Iraq cannot be open-ended and that it is time to start working to bring our troops home. We need to redeploy our troops out of Iraq as part of a sorely needed new policy, one that emphasizes diplomatic and political methods - not military strategies - as the best way of bringing stability to Iraq.

Since American forces went into Iraq in March 2003, more than 3,400 of our troops have been killed. Of those, 21 percent have been from California or based in California . Over 25,000 more have been wounded. Countless numbers of Iraqis have been killed, victims of an intensifying civil war. Furthermore, the first half of 2007 has already been deadlier than any six-month period since the war began more than four years ago.

Please be assured that I will continue doing all I can to see that Congress acts boldly to bring this tragic and ill-fated war to an end. Once again, thank you for your letter and for caring deeply about this critical matter.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator