GOP Sen. Gordon Smith calls war in Iraq 'insane'

[unhappycamper]

GOP Sen. Gordon Smith calls war in Iraq 'insane'
David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Tuesday July 10, 2007


Fox News, reporting Tuesday on the increasing number of Republicans in Congress criticizing the Iraq War, interviewed Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), cosponsor of a resolution for withdrawal.

Smith is known for a speech last December in which he stated, "I, for one, am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day. That is absurd. It may even be criminal."

Smith told Fox, "If I could do anything over, I would – in that speech I gave – I would replace the word 'criminal' with the word 'insane.'" He suggested that the "surge" might have had a chance of working four years ago, but said, "On my numerous visits to Iraq ... each time I go, the government seems more and more dysfunctional. And all we're doing is depending on them to step up and govern."

Smith went on to explain the legislation he is sponsoring, saying, "There's nothing in this amendment that says we withdraw from the war on terror." When Fox host Shepard Smith pressed him on whether there might be a civil war in Iraq that is indistinguishable from the war on terror, the senator denied both points. "It may become a full-blown civil war," he acknowledged, "but the point is, it's not ours, it's theirs. It's not something we can win. ... I'm just tired of American kids dying for that."


more

[Ishoutandscream2]

1. Is he up for reelection?

I didn't see anything about that in the article.

[Akoto]

7. I believe he is (reelected in '02, 6-year terms), but ...

That really makes no difference to me. If it gets the troops out of Iraq, I'll take his help. We need some Republican support to make that happen in a way that can't be stopped.

[anitar1]

8. Gordy is up for reelection next year.

We are hoping to clean his plow. He is sooo Right Wing and is now trying to present a different face.

[NNN0LHI]

2. When Gorden stands next to Harry Reid at the podium and calls for a pullout I will believe him

Until then its all crap.

Don

[Captain Hilts]

3. Smith has been anti-war for a while now. nt

[Mass]

16. He is co-sponsor of the Levin-Reed bill to withdraw the troops before next spring.

First step taken.

[Toots]

4. Votes count all the rest is bullshit.

He says this is insane and then votes to support it. Typical Republican, all hat and no cattle.

[pwb]

5. All the smart people left Iraq

How can you form a government out of the uneducated population.???

[Gman]

6. How convenient that these GOP Senators that are coming out against the war

are, for the most part, up for reelection next year. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

[cassiepriam]

9. No. Bush is insane. The war is a product of his insanity. nt

[Botany]

10. Although he is doing this political reasons .... the end result will stop the war

The #s are turning against bush big time ...

Snow
Hagel
Warner
Vonivich
Luger
and now Smith

And very soon
Collins
Specter
Coleman
will flip.

With Tim Johnson coming back and counting Lieberman in the bush camp
we are closing in on 60 and getting the hell out.

Time to get the 60 votes .... no matter where they come from.

Republicans up in 08.

Alexander, Lamar

Allard, Wayne

Chambliss, Saxby

Cochran, Thad

Coleman, Norm

Collins, Susan

Cornyn, John

Craig, Larry

Dole, Elizabeth

Domenici, Pete

Enzi, Michael

Graham, Lindsey

Hagel, Chuck

Inhofe, James

McConnell, Mitch

Roberts, Pat

Sessions, Jeff

Smith, Gordon

Stevens, Ted

Sununu, John

Warner, John

**********************

Sununu & Domenici are weak in their support of the war too.

[Sal Minella]

12. Domenici was just on NPR dancing and singing about needing a new plan in Iraq.

He was breathtakingly nonspecific and nearly aphasic on the subject, except for stressing his own separation from supporting the war. I assumed he's up for re-election, and sure nuff there he is.

And Inhofe too. My my. Fancy that.

[TwilightGardener]

11. I read a George Will article on Smith--

his opposition to the war is genuine. I'll defend the guy--his votes match his rhetoric.

[nancyr]

13. I think this is genuine.

As an Oregonian who has watched Gordon Smith for years, I tend to trust this is truly the way he feels. I have seen a distinct alteration of his hard-lined notions since the death of his son a few years ago. Perhaps a dose of reality shocked him into looking at the world differently. I will give him the benefit of the doubt here. I would never vote for the man, but I think he has had an eye-opening about the war.

[gratuitous]

15. I don't buy it for a second

Smith is trying to polish his "moderate" credentials in the last year of his term after five years of faithful Bush backing. Unfortunately, the "name" Democratic players (Blumenauer and DeFazio) have opted not to challenge the Pond Killer, but Smith's in trouble just the same with Oregon voters. Hence his sudden, "strong" opposition to the war in Iraq.

But keep an eye on what he actually does and how he actually votes. It's unlikely in the extreme that should a cloture vote on any Senate bill or resolution come down to Smith's vote, that he would vote to go ahead and bring the bill to a full Senate vote. If cloture is a foregone conclusion (one way or the other), then and only then will he vote for it. And if a bill actually makes it to a vote, he'll be perfectly comfortable to let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and find some reason or another why it's not the perfect bill, and vote against it.

[TahitiNut]

14. "Criminally insane" works for me.

:shrug:

Lock 'em up in a padded cell for the rest of their psychopathic lives.

Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Rice, Rove, Libby, Hadley, Feith, Wolfowitz, Tenet, Bolton, et. al. infinitum.