State of Maine Archives: on War & Peace
Sara Gideon:
Congress must provide oversight over military action
Q: Oppose military attacks on Iran without congressional approval?Sara Gideon: No. The administration must explain "the imminent threat facing American soldiers and why [a strike is] absolutely necessary. Congress must provide oversight."
Susan Collins: Mixed. "I believe the strike that killed Soleimani was justified, but that sustained hostilities committing American troops would require congressional approval."
Source: CampusElect on 2020 Maine Senate race
Oct 10, 2020
Susan Rice:
Small U.S. military presence in Syria fought ISIS threat
The reason why we had a small number - barely over a thousand U.S. troops - in Syria was not to topple the regime. It was not to get involved in the civil conflict. It was to fight a clear and present terrorist threat from ISIS. The reason why they
needed to stay after ISIS had been largely debilitated but not entirely defeated is because we have seen time and again in that region what happens when you take the pressure off the terrorists. They reconstitute and come back.
Source: NPR Illinois on 2020 Maine Senate race
Oct 13, 2019
Susan Rice:
We sold out the Kurds in Syria
We have sold out the Kurds, who fought on our behalf against ISIS with our support. We provided training and advice and support to the Kurds, who were taking the fight to ISIS, quite effectively. The president's decision to pull out was more than a
green light. It was a red carpet. And we have seen what the Turks have done. They're waging a relentless fight, 100,000 people displaced. And now for the administration to turn around and say, "but we really didn't mean it," strains credulity.
Source: PBS Newshour on 2020 Maine Senate race
Oct 11, 2019
Susan Rice:
Benghazi investigations became "gotcha" game
What troubles me the most is that all of these political issues -- which certainly merit investigation and they were investigated eight times by eight committees -- overshadowed the loss of these four Americans.
And the focus shifted to a political "gotcha" game, rather than the fact that we had dedicated public servants who gave their lives in a terrorist attack. And the issue is how do we prevent that in the future? And what do we, what did we learn from it?
Source: National Public Radio on 2020 Maine Senate race
Oct 7, 2019
Susan Rice:
National security endangered by lack of communication
Rice argued that the National Security Principals Committee -- the Cabinet-level group led by the national security adviser and staffed by high-level officials including the secretaries of State and Defense, the attorney general and the director of
National Intelligence -- is less involved in making national security decisions than it should be. "The wheels have come off the bus of the process," Rice said
Source: The Hill on 2020 Maine Senate race
Oct 6, 2019
Eric Brakey:
Ok to withdraw from Iran nuke deal so Trump can negotiate
Iran: Support President Trump's withdrawing from Iran nuclear treaty?Brakey: Wait & see. President "deserves some latitude in negotiations with Iran."
King: No. A "terrible geopolitical mistake." Strains relationships with key allies.
Ringelstein: No position on Iran deal. Favors diplomacy against potential nuclear threats.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Maine Senate race
Nov 1, 2018
Zak Ringelstein:
Favors diplomacy against potential nuclear threats
Iran: Support President Trump's withdrawing from Iran nuclear treaty?Brakey: Wait & see. President "deserves some latitude in negotiations with Iran."
King: No. A "terrible geopolitical mistake." Strains relationships with key allies.
Ringelstein: No position on Iran deal. Favors diplomacy against potential nuclear threats.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Maine Senate race
Nov 1, 2018
Chris Lyons:
Avoid foreign entanglements
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Avoid foreign entanglements"?
A: support
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maine Senate candidate
Mar 6, 2018
Eric Brakey:
Learn from the past: we don't need another Mideast war
Engagement in another Middle East civil war will cost more lives & make us less safe--
we must only reflect upon the last 30 years as proof.
Source: Twitter posting on 2018 Maine Senate race
Apr 6, 2017
Bruce Poliquin:
Congress' approval before going to war; stay out of Syria
Support and Defend the Constitution: ACTION ITEMS:- President must secure Congressional approval before going to war
- Ensure only Congress can commit to military conflict
- Stay out of Syrian civil war
-
Ensure IRS does not violate 1st Amendment right of free speech
- Protect our 2nd Amendment right
- Investigate NSA surveillance for 4th Amendment violations.
Source: 2014 Maine House campaign website, PoliquinForCongress.com
Nov 4, 2014
Charlie Summers:
Iraq & Afghanistan have taken a turn for the positive
Quote: "We're never going to have a democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan like we think of here in the United States, but we can afford them the ability to feed their family, to have an income and to live in relative security."
Believes the U.S. effort in both Iraq and Afghanistan have "taken a turn for the positive," in terms of reconstruction.
Source: Public Broadcasting "Your Vote 2012" Maine Senate debate
Sep 1, 2012
Cynthia Dill:
Afghanistan is not as irresponsible as was Iraq
Should not have gone to Iraq, a war based on a false premise of weapons of mass destruction. Afghanistan is a home to terrorists, and while
U.S. troops should be sent home soon, our engagement in Afghanistan is "not as irresponsible" as it was in Iraq.
Source: Public Broadcasting "Your Vote 2012" Maine Senate debate
Sep 1, 2012
Matt Dunlap:
Iraq war was poorly thought out and enormously expensive
Thinks Iraq war was "poorly thought out" and "enormously expensive," and believes we went there on a false premise. Thinks the
Taliban's support for al Qaeda justified our response in Afghanistan, but believes the war is unsustainable at this point.
Source: Public Broadcasting "Your Vote 2012" Maine Senate debate
Sep 1, 2012
Scott D`Amboise:
Time to bring our troops home from Afghanistan
Doesn't believe that the U.S. should "police" the world, and that Congress has wrongly abdicated its authority to the president in sending troops into harm's way.
Quote: "We're not going to win Afghanistan, there's nothing we can do anymore over there. It's time to bring our troops home."
Source: Public Broadcasting "Your Vote 2012" Maine Senate debate
Sep 1, 2012
Matt Dunlap:
We cannot stand by while Syria slaughters its citizens
slaughtered by their governments," Dunlap said.Hinck said he also would be reluctant to commit troops abroad. "I think we've overextended. We've hurt our economy and we are not achieving the objectives" of
current military operations.
Pollard said he would support providing arms to Syrian rebels, and also would consider airstrikes.
"I do believe we have a respond as the world only superpower to keep the peace in the world," he said.
All four said they would work to reduce the nation's debt.
Dill said she would focus on military spending and regulation of Wall Street financial firms that helped cause the recession. "We had, basically, people looting our economy who haven't been
held responsible," she said.
Dunlap said he would look at the Bush tax cuts, adding, "The deficit problems we have today are rooted in the growing inequality in the tax code."
Hinck said it will take both spending cuts and tax increases, but debt
Source: KJ Online coverage of 2012 Maine Senate debate
Apr 1, 2012
Charlie Summers:
Keep troop levels high in Iraq until "peace surge"
Q: Discuss your proposals for Iraq?A: There are three things we should be doing in Iraq. First, we must ensure that troop levels remain roughly where they are for the next 12-18 months to continue to help provide security and to continue training the
Iraqi Security Forces. Second, during that same time period, we need to redouble our diplomatic efforts and expand the current coalition of nations supporting actions in Iraq to include all
Western nations. Third, we must employ a second "surge" - not a military surge, but a "peace surge" -
to include the deployment of the United States Peace Corps.
Source: Maine Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2008
Charlie Summers:
More support for Afghanistan; more sanctions for North Korea
Q: Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program?A: Yes.
Q: Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
A: Yes.
Q: Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
A: Yes.
Source: Maine Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2008
Susan Collins:
Exert economic pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear program
In response to a question about how to curb efforts by Iran and North Korea to develop nuclear weapons, Allen said, “We have to have very strong economic sanctions against Iran, but we have squandered the support of our allies.”Collins said she
is one of 50 co-sponsors of a resolution that calls on the US to take the lead in exerting economic pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear weapon development. “This is not something the US can do alone,” she said.
Source: 2008 Maine Senate debate reported in Kennebec Journal
Sep 21, 2008
Tom Allen:
We need strong economic sanctions against Iran
In response to a question about how to curb efforts by Iran and North Korea to develop nuclear weapons, Allen criticized the Bush administration for losing the support of American allies in the war in Iraq. “We have to have very strong economic sanctions
against Iran, but we have squandered the support of our allies,” he said.Collins calls on the US to take the lead in exerting economic pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear weapon development. “This is not something the US can do alone,” she said.
Source: 2008 Maine Senate debate reported in Kennebec Journal
Sep 21, 2008
Sarah Palin:
Generally supportive of America’s presence in Iraq
the Pakistan?A: In order to stop Islamic extremists, those terrorists who would seek to destroy America & our allies, we must do whatever it takes and we must not blink in making those tough decisions of where we go and even who we target.
Q: Is that
a yes? That we have the right to go across the border?
A: I believe that America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell bent on destroying America and our allies. We have got to have all options out there on the table.
Iraq: Palin is generally supportive of America’s presence in Iraq, her 18-year-old son Track Palin is in the Army and is slotted to go to Iraq in September. Palin has also visited members of the Alaska National Guard in Kuwait.
Source: WMTW TV-8 Portland Maine, ABC affiliate
Aug 29, 2008
Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021