The Burton Blog

Rep. Burton Statement on the Killing of Osama bin Laden

Indianapolis, IN. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05), senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement concerning the death of Osama Bin Laden.

“Today is a great a day for America.  Our Nation’s greatest enemy has been brought to justice.  But we must never forget those who lost loved ones on that fateful morning of September 11th. 

“I want to commend our Nation’s military, the Navy Seals and the CIA who have sacrificed so much for their work in locating and eliminating Osama bin Laden.

“But the war on terror is not over and the fight against al-Qaeda will continue.  We must remain ever vigilant in keeping our country safe as we continue to pursue those who wish to destroy freedom.

Take the "Save the Navy SEALS" petition to 15,000

About a week and a half ago we launched www.savethenavyseals.com to help collect signatures in support of the three Navy SEALs who captured Ahmed Hashim Abed. Abed is the mastermind behind the brutal mutilation and murder of four American civilians in Fallujah in 2004 who now claims he got a bloody lip (or was punched in the stomach) while being detained by the SEALs.  As a reward for their efforts, the SEAL's are now being court martialed.

We've now collected over 10,000 signatures and want to get 5,000 more!  Will you help us by emailing your friends and family and asking them to sign on?

Dan appeared on Fox News to help promote the effort:

Found this article today

Found this additional article referencing Dan's position on withdrawal from Iraq.

In the Foreign Relation Dan Burton(R-IN)asked whether a “precipitous pull out” from Iraq were to happen a vacuum were to be created only al-Qaida could fill it. Crocker answered that given conditions at this time, if the U.S. were to withdraw all soldiers in six months, there would be a downward spiral and al-Qaida would benefit, possibly establishing a base in the Middle East.

Lot's of weekend coverage

We saw a lot of positive weekend coverage.  In Front Page Magazine they applauded Dan Burton for his strong approach to dealing with "Code Pink", the far left anti-war crazies who shut down Marine Recruiting offices in Berkely and attempted to shut down the Petraeus hearings.

Read the article here.  It was also reprinted on Free Republic here and on another blog here.

The chamber's action contrasted greatly with that of the hapless House chairman Ike Skelton, D-MO, during the Petraeus hearings last fall. Then, too, Code Pink demonstrators in full apparel burst out screaming at regular intervals. Skelton gravely intoned, "Let me make this announcement: that those who have caused unlawful conduct and improper conduct, who have, who are, and who will throughout the remainder of this hearing will be prosecuted...under the law. This is untolerable. We will not allow it." Yawn. He repeated this mantra every few minutes, only to be greeted by more howling.

Urging a wiser course, Rep. Dan Burton, R-IN, had tried to have the protesters expelled preemptively:

Burton: I see a number of people in the audience that I anticipate will be making a disturbance, and if this occurs during the testimony by our honored guest, I hope you will be very firm and get them out of here.
Skelton: You don't have to lecture me. They'll be gone. Don't -
Burton: Well, I still see them out there.
Skelton: Don't worry about them. We've done this before. Alright, those who are displaying a sign, out they go.

Duncan Hunter, seated to Skelton's immediate left, tried to clue him in:

Hunter: Here's their strategy...There's about ten of them, so they're going to sacrifice one about every five minutes. If they do that, I'd remove the whole identifiable group out.
Skelton (testily): How do you do that?
Hunter: Well, because they're all in the same dress, the pink people. They're an association...I'd say have people take their group out.

(Another reason Duncan Hunter would have made a great president.)

Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette: Burton warns against pullout

Lighting has struck twice folks!  Both the Indianapolis Star AND the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette have taken time away from shilling for the left to give our man a fair shake in an article.  We're pinching ourselves!

The top U.S. military and diplomatic officials in Iraq agreed Wednesday with a Hoosier Republican's assessment that a hasty withdrawal from Iraq would leave a vacuum that terrorists would fill.

If U.S. troops pull out “before conditions are met,” Ambassador Ryan Crocker said to Rep. Dan Burton, R-5th, “you would see a spiral down, and that would lead to expanded sectarian conflict at levels we have not seen before. It would bring neighbors, especially Iran, into the fight, and it would create space for al-Qaida to take root on Iraqi soil.”

Burton said it's important for the public to hear that message because the war is unpopular, and as people choose their next president, they need to also choose between “a precipitous withdrawal” and “hanging in there and defeating al-Qaida and the terrorists.”

In a second day of congressional hearings on the status of the war in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus also agreed with Burton, citing risks of leaving too soon.

Dan Burton: Stay tough on terrorism in Iraq

The Indianapolis Star took some time away from childish editorializing to actually do some reporting today.

Reps. Dan Burton and Mike Pence warned Wednesday against the United States leaving Iraq too soon.

"What would happen if we had a very precipitous pullout, or if we hung in there to win this battle?" Burton, R-Indianapolis, asked at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador in Iraq, responded that a change in the administration's approach to troop reductions "as conditions permit" could "risk failure in Iraq."

"My judgment is that where conditions are at this time, that you would see a spiral down," Crocker said. "And that would lead to expanded sectarian conflict at levels we probably have not seen before. It would bring the neighbors, especially Iran, into the fight. And it would create space for al-Qaida to root itself on Arab soil."

Burton said it's important for the public to hear that because the war is unpopular, and the country is about to pick a new president who could change policy.

Dan Burton at Petraus Hearing

TBB has been waiting on this particular clip to appear on YouTube. Recently, some members of a left wingnut group entitled "Code Pink" interrupted a meeting of Congress in which our leaders from Iraq were testifying.

Congressman Burton requested that they be removed in order to restore order to the hearing and honor the distinguished guests. It's not the full clip, however. In order to view the full clip, you must go to CNN's website.

It's classic and representative of the craziness you see from the left wing in this country and the Democrats who exist to do their will.

You can also see Congressman Burton's reflections on the hearing by visiting our YouTube channel or by clicking here.