GOP Sen. Gordan Smith: NO SURGE - Iraq Is No Longer A US Fight - Supports Kennedy's Proposal

[kpete]

Video: GOP Sen. Gordon Smith opposes surge

RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday January 10, 2007

In an interview with CNN in the 5am hour this morning, Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) hit Bush's new surge plan and said that Iraq was no longer a US fight. He also said he supported Sen. Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) proposal to have Congress to vote on any increase in troops.

Smith recently attracted media attention when he changed his position on the Iraq war.

Video follows:
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Video_GOP_Sen._Gordon_Smith_opposes_0110.html

[Jackpine Radical]

1. One more.

The more Republicans who join, the better. It will make it that much harder for the hard core Neocons & their Congressional shills to turn this into a Blame the Dems political game.

[originalpckelly]

2. Well, this one counters LIEberman...

so we don't have a net gain as of yet. I think I remember hearing old Trent Lott was against a surge, so he may be a net gain in our favor as well.

[swag]

3. Here is Gordon, all over the place, in this morning's Oregonian:

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1168401342112600.xml&coll=7

Smith said he opposes President Bush's plan to add more troops. In recent days, however, his position on a troop escalation has seemed to waver.

On Dec. 22, Smith told The Oregonian "it's too little, too late" to send additional troops to Iraq. But on a conference call with reporters after meeting with the president Monday, Smith said, "I don't have enough information to say I'm against the (troop) surge," according to the Eugene Register-Guard and The Associated Press. That night, Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's "Hardball," announced that Smith opposed an escalation.
. . .

"I made this clear to the president yesterday," Smith said. "My objection is not fighting the war on terror. It's being the street cop in a civil war. The surge is about that internal fight."

But the tough political test for Smith -- and other Republican opponents in Congress -- will come when they are forced to vote on bills that would block Bush's plan.
. . .
Would Smith vote for or against a new authorization?

"It depends on what it says," Smith said. "I think I have to give myself a little elbow room."

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Great news. I wonder if ALL the Democrats are united on the Kennedy proposal? Do we know?

Lieberman doesn't count.

[jumpoffdaplanet]

5. He must be terrified of losing reelection

But it's not going to work.

I understand, from an Oregonian friend, even the Eastern farmers are sick of him. And when a Rethug loses eastern oregon, he might as well start looking for lobbying jobs.

[robertpaulsen]

6. Great. Could someone donate his backbone to Hoyer & Biden?

We need to have ALL Dems get behind Kennedy's proposal, anyone with an R in front of their name is just gravy. And I'm tired of all the "Constitutionality" quibbling, that's for SCOTUS to decide, not Congress. What ever happened to the War Powers Act anyway?

LET'S HAVE SOME BACKBONE, DEMS! STAND UP TO BUSH IN THE NAME OF PEACE!