SCHAFFER: Hard to say. If they are, I hope that it’s not involved in tactical involvement on a day-to-day basis, but strategic. But I’d hoped that we’d have American troops out even sooner. That definition you read, was before there was a clear indication that the surge has worked. I am optimistic, however, that we are achieving those objectives right now.
Q: [to Udall]: A year ago you said that the surge was a tragic mistake. Were you wrong?
UDALL: It’s time to leave Iraq. It’s time to leave Iraq responsibly.
Q: Were you wrong on the surge?
UDALL: The surge has helped. There are other factors in Iraq that have been helpful.
UDALL: That’s a great narrative, but go back to 2002. You cast votes for a war.
SCHAFFER: You proposed votes against the declaration of war.
UDALL: You cast votes against an energy policy set of proposals that would have us much closer to being energy independent today.
SCHAFFER: I cast votes in favor of an energy policy.
UDALL: It’s time to leave Iraq. It’s time to leave Iraq responsibly.
Q: Were you wrong on the surge?
UDALL: The surge has helped. There are other factors in Iraq that have been helpful. The Al Anbar Awakening, Muqtada al-Sadr’s call for a cease-fire. There’s ethnic cleansing to a great extent now that you don’t hear that story. Sunni and Shia do not live together anymore in places like Baghdad. But whatever the situation was then, it’s now time to leave Iraq in an honorable & responsible way. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I know how stretched our military is. I also know we haven’t finished the job in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. Bin Laden is still at large. I also know we have no capacity to defend our own country or to respond to any other emergencies all over the world. It’s time to turn Iraq back over to the Iraqis and refocus on a tough and a smart national security policy.
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| Candidates and political leaders on War & Peace: | |||
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Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015: GA:Chambliss(R) IA:Harkin(D) MI:Levin(D) MT:Baucus(D) NE:Johanns(R) OK:Coburn(R) SD:Johnson(D) WV:Rockefeller(D) Resigned from 113th House: AL-1:Jo Bonner(R) FL-19:Trey Radel(R) LA-5:Rod Alexander(R) MA-5:Ed Markey(D) MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R) NC-12:Melvin Watt(D) SC-1:Tim Scott(R) |
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R) GA-1:Jack Kingston(R) GA-10:Paul Broun(R) GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R) HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D) IA-1:Bruce Braley(D) LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R) ME-2:Mike Michaud(D) MI-14:Gary Peters(D) MT-0:Steve Daines(R) OK-5:James Lankford(R) PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D) TX-36:Steve Stockman(R) WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) |
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R) AR-2:Tim Griffin(R) CA-11:George Miller(D) CA-25:Howard McKeon(R) CA-33:Henry Waxman(D) CA-45:John Campbell(R) IA-3:Tom Latham(R) MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R) NC-6:Howard Coble(R) NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D) NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R) NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D) NY-21:Bill Owens(D) PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R) UT-4:Jim Matheson(D) VA-8:Jim Moran(D) VA-10:Frank Wolf(R) | |
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