Your Handy Guide To Where Potential '08 Presidential Candidates Stand On Iraq
The Associated Press has produced a quick and handy guide to the positions on Iraq held by all potential 2008 Presidential candidates. Here are the positions held by the two frontrunners, Senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton:
JOHN McCAIN: The Arizona senator has warned that any pullout of troops could be disastrous. Instead, he has pushed the president to send in a heavy wave of troops to quell the violence and establish order. He has been public in his criticism of how the war has been run, but not the goals. During an exchange with Abizaid, McCain said: "I regret deeply that you seem to think that the status quo and the rate of progress we're making is acceptable. I think most Americans do not."
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: She also voted in 2002 to authorize the use of military force and has refused to recant her vote. But the New York senator has been a vocal critic of the way the war has been conducted, voting in June for the Levin-Reed amendment on a phased withdrawal. "Our country desperately needs a foreign policy based on bipartisan consensus and executed with nonpartisan competence," Clinton has said. At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Nov. 15, she quizzed Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, about dividing the country along ethnic lines.
Check out the positions of all the rest of the candidates after the jump.
Democrats
EVAN BAYH: The Indiana senator voted in 2002 to authorize the use of military force to oust Saddam Hussein. Since then, he has become a critic of the war. He supported the unsuccessful Levin-Reed amendment, which urged President Bush to transfer greater responsibility to the Iraqis and begin a phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of the year. "If people don't trust us with their lives, they're unlikely to trust us with much else," Bayh said.
JOE BIDEN: The incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in 2002 to give Bush the authority to use military force. Since then, the Delaware senator has become a critic of the war and has advocated a plan that would divide the country along ethnic lines, relying on a central government only for matters of border control and allocation of oil resources. He has been critical of efforts to install a Western-style democracy.
WESLEY CLARK: The retired four-star general and former NATO commander has criticized the war as "a path to nowhere -- replete with hyped intelligence, macho slogans and an incredible failure to see the obvious." The 2004 presidential candidate said the goal to institute Western-style government was a flawed idea. He recently called for sustained shuttle diplomacy in the region and increased cooperation among the White House, Pentagon and State Department.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: She also voted in 2002 to authorize the use of military force and has refused to recant her vote. But the New York senator has been a vocal critic of the way the war has been conducted, voting in June for the Levin-Reed amendment on a phased withdrawal. "Our country desperately needs a foreign policy based on bipartisan consensus and executed with nonpartisan competence," Clinton has said. At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Nov. 15, she quizzed Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, about dividing the country along ethnic lines.
CHRIS DODD: The Connecticut senator voted to authorize military force in 2002 but later supported the Levin-Reed amendment. Dodd recently said he would prefer Iraqis take greater responsibility and the United States immediately deploy troops away from urban areas, into rural areas and along the border. Dodd opposes an ethnically divided Iraq and favors aggressive diplomacy.
JOHN EDWARDS: The 2004 vice presidential nominee voted to authorize military intervention, but since leaving the Senate has recanted his vote. The former North Carolina lawmaker advocates a phased troop redeployment from Iraq.
JOHN KERRY: The 2004 presidential nominee voted to authorize military force. But he subsequently voted against additional funds for the effort and has said the authorization vote was his biggest legislative mistake. In June, the Massachusetts senator and Russell Feingold, D-Wis., co-sponsored an amendment that would have set a July 1, 2007, deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The amendment failed.
BARACK OBAMA: The Illinois senator is a longtime critic of the war, elected to the Senate after the conflict began. He voted for the Levin-Reed amendment in June but did not vote for the Kerry-Feingold amendment. In a recent speech, Obama called a "gradual and substantial" reduction of U.S. forces from Iraq that would begin in four months to six months. He also called for intensified efforts to train Iraqi security forces and new diplomacy with Syria and Iran.
BILL RICHARDSON: In September, the New Mexico governor and former U.N. ambassador outlined a strategy for Iraq that echoed the Biden approach: "I would set a timetable for withdrawal. I would couple that with a political solution of the three ethnic groups forcing them to have a political solution. There is no military solution. Specifically, I would divide up the oil revenue, the cabinet ministries and force them to come up with a new political framework."
TOM VILSACK: The Iowa governor has bemoaned the loss of the U.S. ability to negotiate a solution because it has squandered its diplomatic clout. "The U.S. doesn't seem like it's in position to broker peace," he said. "It doesn't seem to have the power. ... We're now dependent on other states to carry out diplomacy."
Republicans
SAM BROWNBACK: The Kansas senator has supported the war and maintained his optimism. "We are coming to a time when we can hand this, much more, over to the Iraqis," he said. "And I think we need to do that, for both the Iraqi public and for the American public."
BILL FRIST: He voted for the use of force and continues to defend his vote. "Leaving Iraq to the terrorists is simply not an option," said the Senate majority leader. He joined Bush to oppose Democratic calls to withdraw forces from Iraq, but the Tennessee senator acknowledged the war made it tough for GOP candidates.
NEWT GINGRICH: The former House speaker has been critical of the war and the way it has been fought. He told a South Dakota audience the United States should withdraw most of its troops from Iraq, leaving a small force behind similar to the postwar forces in Korea and Germany. "It was an enormous mistake for us to try to occupy that country after June of 2003," he said. "We have to pull back, and we have to recognize it."
RUDY GIULIANI: The former New York City mayor has supported Bush's war on terror and has said Democrats "don't support the military the way Republicans do." He said any withdrawal from Iraq would only encourage future attacks. "The jihadists very much want a victory in Iraq. They feel that if they could defeat us in Iraq they will have a great victory for terrorism," Giuliani said.
LINDSEY GRAHAM: The South Carolina senator opposes the arbitrary withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Although he has been critical of the war, he said premature departure could be disastrous. He said both U.S. and Iraqi officials should be held accountable for the lack of progress. "We're on the verge of chaos, and the current plan is not working," he said.
CHUCK HAGEL: A strong critic of the Bush administration, the Nebraska senator has publicly questioned the president's plan and advisers. He recently said Sen. John McCain's call to send more troops comes too late. "The time for more troops is past. We don't want to put more troops in now. Even if we had them, that's the wrong approach," he said on MSNBC.
DUNCAN HUNTER: The California Republican who has led the House Armed Services Committee is a staunch defender of the war and the administration. His son is a Marine artillery officer who has served in Iraq. "This falloff of support among Democratic ranks is not shared by the war-fighting forces," Hunter said. "It's not shared by our troops."
JOHN McCAIN: The Arizona senator has warned that any pullout of troops could be disastrous. Instead, he has pushed the president to send in a heavy wave of troops to quell the violence and establish order. He has been public in his criticism of how the war has been run, but not the goals. During an exchange with Abizaid, McCain said: "I regret deeply that you seem to think that the status quo and the rate of progress we're making is acceptable. I think most Americans do not."
MITT ROMNEY: The Massachusetts governor pledged support for the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 but later criticized Bush for not doing an "adequate job" outlining the rationale for the war. He said the attack was based on faulty intelligence and argued the U.S. had provided insufficient troops to stabilize the country following initial combat.
TOMMY THOMPSON: The former Wisconsin governor and Health and Human Services chief has acknowledged Iraq would be a major issue in 2008. Beyond that, he has faced few questions about his views on U.S. policy in Iraq.















A depressing lot.
November 22, 2006 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least if the Pentagon is going to send more troops to Iraq anyway, McCain is going to have to explain why he was so wrong on our strategy as he runs for President.
McCain clearly wants to be strong and wrong, as Pres. Clinton has phrased it. The problem is that there's a place where strong and wrong becomes stupid and wrong.
It's sad that Gingrich and Hagel are the only ones on the GOP side even flirting with reality. At least the Dems voted for or support Levin-Reed and phased withdrawal.
November 22, 2006 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
With respect to Wesley Clark on Iraq, it is interesting to read what he said in September of 2002 prior to the U.S. invastion. Had the administration listened to his advice and warnings we would be in a much better situation today.
"Force should not be used until the personnel and organizations to be involved in post-conflict Iraq are identified and readied to assume their responsibilities. This includes requirements for humanitarian assistance, police and judicial capabilities, emergency medical and reconstruction assistance, and preparations for a transitional governing body and eventual elections, perhaps including a new constitution."
and
"The war is unpredictable and could be difficult and costly. And what is at risk in the aftermath is an open-ended American ground commitment in Iraq..."
The entire transcript can be read here: http://www.house.gov/hasc/openingstatementsandpressreleases/107thcongress/02-09-26clark.html
November 22, 2006 3:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's another link to Clark's 2002 comments:
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/01/15/clark/index.html
"We have to work this problem in a way to gain worldwide legitimacy and understanding for the concerns that we rightly feel and for our leadership. This is what U.S. leadership in the world must be. We must bring others to share our views, not be too quick to rush to try to impose them even if we have the power to do so."
"We need to be ready because if suddenly Saddam Hussein's government collapses and we don't have everything ready to go, we're going to have chaos in that region."
November 22, 2006 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good outline, but I think it would be better if the timing of people's comments and positions was noted. Add dates, and apply it next to a timeline of polling showing what voters were feeling about Iraq. That way, we can see who was motivated more by polls than by independent assessments.
Knowing when Gingrich first spoke up, for example. Or when Kerry and Edwards changed course. Did they lead or follow the public?
I'm very curious about who's displaying leadership and who's demonstrating opportunism.
Kevin Hayden
November 22, 2006 7:39 PM | Reply | Permalink