• President declared at press conference today: "We're not leaving [Iraq] so long as I'm the president. That would be a huge mistake."
• Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand disagrees, says we need a change of direction
• Incumbent Rep. John Sweeney voted for the war, blindly supports President's failed policies

Hudson NY - In response to the President's declaration today that US troops will never leave Iraq during his presidency, Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand today called for a new direction in Iraq. While Rep. John Sweeney voted to go into Iraq and has been a rubber-stamp for the President's misguided policies, Gillibrand repeated her strong support for the troops while calling for putting the Iraqis on notice that they must decide their own destiny and eventually redeploying US troops within 6-12 months.

"I respectfully disagree with the President's failed stay the course strategy in Iraq," Gillibrand said today. "It's time for a change.  We must put the Iraqis on notice that they must decide their own destiny and that US troops will be redeployed. It's time for Congress and my opponent to stop being a rubber-stamp for the President's failed Iraq policies."

"Congressman John Sweeney and I have an honest disagreement on the most important challenge confronting our great nation.  He supports the President's failed Iraq policy and will be a reliable vote to stay the course.  I say its time for a new direction and real change."

Gillibrand today responded with an alternative strategy for ensuring our mission in Iraq is successful:

• Issue an immediate declaration that the US will not maintain permanent bases in Iraq and will have no claim on Iraqi oil;
• Put the Iraqis on notice that they must decide their own destiny and give them a defined notice period for the Iraqi political groups to choose between compromise and conflict and put a working government in place, this will create a sense of urgency for the Iraqis to choose peace over civil war;
• Provide full US political and military support during this notice period and implement a comprehensive political strategy to give each sectarian group a stake in a peaceful and stable Iraq.  Each group should have a stake in reconstruction contracts, oil revenues and have minority rights and veto rights;
• Commit to the redeployment of US forces out of Iraq starting at the end of this notice period to be determined by our military leaders.  That period might reasonably be six, nine or twelve months -- anything shorter would not be reasonable given the task; anything longer is too indefinite.

President Bush specifically said at his press conference today: "We're not leaving so long as I'm the president. That would be a huge mistake."