State of Massachusetts secondary Archives: on War & Peace
Beth Lindstrom:
Why is Sen. Warren dissing U.S. foreign policy in China?
Why is @SenWarren sowing discord against U.S. foreign policy on her trip to China? It's one thing to throw rocks at your Dem and
GOP opponents in the U.S., it's demoralizing to see her do it on foreign soil in front of our communist adversaries.
Source: Twitter posting on 2018 Massachusetts Senate race
Apr 3, 2018
Ed Markey:
2003 Iraq war vote was a mistake; 2013 Syria vote was not
Kennedy was particularly critical of Markey's votes to authorize the use of military force in Iraq in 2003 and his present vote in committee a decade later in 2013 on a resolution authorizing military action in Syria. Markey said he voted present on
Syria because the Obama administration had not provided all the information he needed to make a decision. He called the ultimate release of the information by the administration a "disinfectant" that led to the withdrawal of the resolution.
"A present vote is not a disinfectant. It's hard for me to understand when a present vote is going to be a profile in courage," Kennedy said.
Markey said that he regretted his Iraq war vote, which he blamed on being lied to by President George W. Bush. "It was a mistake," Markey said, noting the support his campaign has received from groups like Mass Peace Action.
Source: Fall River Herald News on 2020 Massachusetts Senate debate
Feb 18, 2020
Ed Markey:
No coherent strategy for exiting from Iraq
George Bush has lost his way in Iraq and has failed to lay out any coherent strategy for exiting from Iraq. The original mission--to disarm Iraq of its Weapons of Mass Destruction--was accomplished before the war even began, but it began anyway. By
March 2003, the UN inspectors had found no weapons. The UN inspectors said there were no nukes there, but Bush responded "I don't care." To justify the invasion, he gave the Generals a new mission--get rid of Saddam Hussein. They accomplished their
mission when they captured Saddam. But now they have been given a new mission--to rebuild Iraq until it is "peaceful, united, stable and secure." That is a mission that could very well mean American soldiers will be based in Iraq permanently.Support
for this war has steadily eroded because a limited focused mission has become an expansive mission without end. 'Staying the course' is not a strategy for victory, it is a formula for keeping our troops bogged down in that country for many years.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2010 Massachusetts Senate incumbents
Oct 4, 2008
Heidi Wellman:
They're not merely "foreign entanglements"
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Avoid foreign entanglements"?
A: NO
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Massachusetts Senate candidate
Mar 7, 2018
Jesse Gordon:
Oppose wars of choice, where survival is not at stake
Q: The U.S. must move away from a policy of unilateral military action, and toward a policy of emphasizing diplomacy, and ensuring the decision to go to war is a last resort.A: Agree.
Candidate's position on this issue:
I actively opposed the wars in Iraq, and any "war of choice" where America's survival is not at stake.
Source: ORMA questionnaire for 2017 local Massachusetts endorsements
Jul 31, 2017
Joe Kennedy III:
Opposed 2003 Iraq war; opposed 2013 Syria war
Kennedy was particularly critical of Markey's votes to authorize the use of military force in Iraq in 2003 and his present vote in committee a decade later in 2013 on a resolution authorizing military action in Syria. Markey said he voted present on
Syria because the Obama administration had not provided all the information he needed to make a decision. He called the ultimate release of the information by the administration a "disinfectant" that led to the withdrawal of the resolution.
"A present vote is not a disinfectant. It's hard for me to understand when a present vote is going to be a profile in courage," Kennedy said.
Markey said that he regretted his Iraq war vote, which he blamed on being lied to by President George W. Bush. "It was a mistake," Markey said, noting the support his campaign has received from groups like Mass Peace Action.
Source: Fall River Herald News on 2020 Massachusetts Senate debate
Feb 18, 2020
Shiva Ayyadurai:
Expose the war in Iraq as a fake war
From the time I was six or seven, I was introduced to the ridiculous caste system in India. If you go to the about section of our website, you see me fighting MIT, fighting for good things, exposing the war in Iraq, which is fake, a fake war,
we didn't have to send our soldiers to fight there, exposing fake news, and fighting against Monsanto. Here's a real fighter. You also have a guy who's a real innovator.
Source: Dartmouth Review on 2018 Massachusetts Senate race
Oct 24, 2017
John Deaton:
Israel has the absolute right to defend itself
The brutal terrorist attacks of October 7th serve as a solemn reminder that evil, and anti-Semitism still exist in our world. I strongly believe that Israel has the absolute right to defend itself and its borders. Hamas is a terrorist organization whose
Charter is the complete destruction and annihilation of Israel and to bring death to every Jew. Any solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must include an unequivocal acknowledgment of Israel's right-to-exist. In sum, Hamas seeks to kill Jews and
Americans and it must be defeated. From being the sole democracy in a troubled part of the world, to sharing intelligence on terrorists who want to kill Americans, Israel is one of America's strongest allies in the world--and supporting Israel is in
America's interests.I believe Rules of Engagement must be followed. Even a country defending itself from an act of genocide must takes measures to reduce the loss of civilian life, whenever possible.
Source: 2024 Massachusetts JohnDeatonForSenate.com campaign website
Sep 9, 2024
John Deaton:
Only finance Ukraine with metrics for tactical independence
America is financing a war between Ukraine and Russia that has no plan and no end in sight. Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent by lawmakers without a clear definition of what constitutes success.
Russia is undoubtedly an adversary and should not be allowed to invade neighboring nations, but Ukraine must also establish its own processes for self-determination.
As Senator, I would only support additional funds to Ukraine if
President Zelenskyy can meet metrics for financial and tactical independence established by the U.S. in a bipartisan matter.
Source: 2024 Massachusetts JohnDeatonForSenate.com campaign website
Sep 9, 2024
Ed Markey:
Keep ABM Treaty; abandon Golden Dome
Q: Why would Pres. Trump call for the US to resume nuclear testing?MARKEY: What I think he's responding to is the announcement by Putin that they are testing missile delivery systems for nuclear bombs. The reason that Russia & China are developing
new missile delivery systems is that the United States pulled out of the anti-ballistic missile system. It is because Donald Trump has announced that he is going to deploy a golden dome over our country. Thousands of satellites with interceptors on them
to knock down incoming Russian or Chinese missiles. And that has led those countries to develop more and more sophisticated nuclear missiles to circumvent the golden dome. Our own experts say it will not work. It will be a golden sieve, which will allow
ultimately for enough nuclear weapons to penetrate it to destroy cities across our country and kill at least 100 million people. So Donald Trump and Trumpatomics is going to make our country less safe, it's going to make the world less dangerous.
Source: ABC This Week on 2026 Massachusetts Senate race
Nov 2, 2025
Page last updated: Feb 06, 2026