"Democrat Darcy Burner's statement in response to Sen. Rodney Tom's decision to pull out of the 8th CD race"

Darcy Burner:

“Senator Tom called me this morning to let me know that he is pulling out of the 8th District congressional race and is formally and enthusiastically endorsing my candidacy. We will be working together in the future to bring real change to the district.

“I want to publicly thank and commend Senator Tom for the grace with which he conducted his campaign. He has proven himself to be a strong voice for positive change and a wonderful addition to the Democratic Party. We share so much, including our determination to bring this war to a responsible close. And we both understand that Congressman Reichert’s brand of Bush-style conservatism does not represent the views of the voters in the 8th Congressional District.

“I think Senator Tom’s decision today is further confirmation that our message of bringing principled leadership and real oversight to Washington, D.C. is resonating across the 8th district. This war is breaking our military, busting our budget and burning our bridges with the rest of the world, and while the press and the pundits and inside-the-Beltway Bush allies like Congressman Reichert may be fine with staying the course, ordinary Americans are wiser than that.

Now, more than ever, we need strong leaders in the other Washington with the good judgment and the courage to fight to get us out of the Iraq quagmire, and I am committed to providing that leadership.”