Brooklyn Young Republican Club and Urban Republican Coalition Call on Councilman Gentile to Repudiate Howard Dean

Posted by Brooklyn Young Republican Club

The Brooklyn Young Republican Club and the Urban Republican Coalition have demanded that New York City Councilman Vincent Gentile (43rd District) repudiate recent statements by Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean that America can not win the war in Iraq. In a recent radio interview, Dean predicted defeat for America in Iraq, saying, “The idea that we are going to win this war is an idea that unfortunately is just plain wrong.”

Luke Vander Linden, President of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club stated, “On the heels of the President’s nationwide speech (Sunday, December 18th) explaining the successes in Iraq and how defeat is not an option in the war on terrorism, it is even more important that Americans stand together against those who say we can not win the war in Iraq. Councilman Gentile, who represents an area that includes the Fort Hamilton Army Base and the Brooklyn VA Hospital, has a responsibility to his constituents and those serving our nation to speak out against the defeatist comments of his national party chair, Howard Dean.”

"At a time when our soldiers are engaging the enemy on foreign soil, it is unconscionable that the leader of the Democratic Party would so blatantly undermine their efforts to keep America safe,” said Robert Hornak, Chairman of the Urban Republican Coalition. “Chairman Dean is completely unqualified to preemptively declare success or failure in Iraq and every responsible elected official, regardless of whether or not they agree with President Bush, should be willing to condemn such an irresponsible and self-serving political statement.”

Andrew Roman, Secretary of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club added, “It is necessary for Mr. Gentile to cast aside whatever political allegiances he feels bound to protect and understand the fact that a nation at war does the greatest disservice to its fighting men and women by not standing up for them and supporting them. His silence in the wake of Howard Dean’s preposterous assertions that the United State cannot win this war, and his apparent unwillingness to publicly condemn such atrocious rhetoric does just that.”

So far, Councilman Gentile has been silent on Dean’s comments.