Feingold: "Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with self-defense."

[ProSense]

Thursday, September 28, 2006 4:47 PM CDT

Feingold: I'm Not a Pacifist on Iraq War

By FREDERIC J. FROMMER

WASHINGTON - Sen. Russ Feingold, one of the first lawmakers to call for a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq, argued on Thursday that it would be wrong to categorize him as an anti-war Democrat.

"I've never been anywhere near one-dimensional on these issues," Feingold said in an interview. "I think that I've become _ I hope _ a credible spokesman for a muscular view of anti-terrorist activity by the Democrats as well as the country. The fact is, I've never been just an anti-war guy."

Last year, Feingold urged the Bush administration to set a timetable to bring troops back from Iraq. This year, he teamed with Sen. John Kerry, the party's 2004 presidential nominee, on a proposal that would have required troops to leave Iraq by July of next year.

Snip...

Feingold, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, contended in the interview that he's no pacifist.

"Absolutely not," he said. "I believe in the right of self-defense" _ including the invasion of Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. "I believe what we did in Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with self-defense."

Snip...

"To some extent, we gutted our capacity to finish the job in Afghanistan, and allowed the Taliban and others to come back in by putting too much emphasis on Iraq," Feingold said.

more...

http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2006/09/29/ap/politics/d8ke3um00.txt

[MadMaddie]

1. That's my man.....Feingold rules...

[ProSense]

2. It's all about Iraq! n/t

[Mass]

3. And he and Kerry follow by offering the Afghanistan Act

http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0929-04.htm

Feingold Calls For Strengthening American Efforts in Afghanistan Act
Feingold Introduces Resolution to Refocus U.S. Efforts on Counter-terrorism, Reconstruction in Afghanistan


WASHINGTON - September 29 - U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) has introduced a resolution calling for more resources to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a key staging ground for terrorists in our continued fight against al Qaeda, its affiliates and its sympathizers. Feingold, a thirteen-year member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is introducing the resolution to refocus attention on Afghanistan, where a resurgent Taliban has destabilized the country’s southern region, opium production levels have reached record levels, and violence is on the rise throughout the country. The resolution is cosponsored by Senator John Kerry (D-MA).

...

[Vidar]

4. Thank you, Russ.