A copy of Schwartz’s prepared speech follows below.

“More than three years after President Bush declared ‘mission accomplished’, U.S. troops, their families, and all Americans continue to pay a high price for the Bush Administration’s ‘stay the course’ strategy in Iraq.

“We cannot afford to stay the course in Iraq. We need a new direction, which must begin with new leadership at the Department of Defense.  

“Secretary Rumsfeld must be held accountable for his misconduct of this war.  He has executed it with no plan beyond the initial invasion, rejecting sound advice and guidance from experienced generals, Middle East experts, troops on the ground, and elected officials from both sides of the aisle.

“From his failure to prepare the military for extended deployments, to his decision to disband the Iraqi military, to his unwillingness to acknowledge miscalculations and false information, he has demonstrated that he does not grasp the challenges facing the Iraqi people or the challenges facing our nation and our military.

“His failed management of the war has not made us safer.  And, his recent attacks against Americans who question our strategy undermine the very freedoms he has sworn to protect.

“To fulfill our national security mission, it is time for a new Secretary of Defense and it is time for a new direction in Iraq.”