Mitch McConnell Flip Flopping on Iraq, Again
Shawn Dixon July 8th, 2007
First it was the war in Iraq. Then, immigration. Now, it’s the war in Iraq again.
No matter the issue, Mitch McConnell can’t seem to make up his mind on important policy decisions facing the country. In a sign that election cycle stress is catching up to him, McConnell flip-flopped again today by backing off his previous language about a troop withdrawal in Iraq in an op-ed in Sunday’s Cincinnati Enquirer.
Caution: The statement below is filled with slick language. Please read carefully.
From Mitch McConnell’s op-ed in the Enquirer
While I remain strongly opposed to an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, I do think that we should continue to evaluate the number and location of our forward-deployed troops. I think it is very likely that the number of U.S. troops in the region will decline as the Iraqis are able to provide more for their own security.
Notice the Senator doesn’t say anything about a troop withdrawal, only that he likely wouldn’t support more troops. That doesn’t sound like the same Mitch McConnell we heard last month who promised that September would be the time to have a “serious evaluation” of U.S. policy in Iraq. Moreover, there is no sign of improving conditions on the ground in Iraq nor or the Iraqis becoming more able to provide for their own security.
So, for those of you not too exhausted to keep up, this week Senator Mitch McConnell has once again changed his position and seems to be firmly back in the pocket of the Bush administration policy of endless commitment of American troops in Iraq.
Stay tuned to DMKY and we will bring you the breaking changes in McConnell policy as they happen.
- Immigration , Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , Uncategorized
- Comments(5)
not suprised… Mitch will talk a big game on Iraq but won’t walk it in the long run. unless he gets some BIG KY pressure.
I suspect Mitch will take any stand he thinks he needs to win in 2008. Republican Congressmen are peeling off of this war issue on nearly a daily basis. They’re seeing the War in Iraq as a political liability. I won’t be surprised to see McConnell forsaking Bush, especially if his numbers continue to drop. So many of those in the GOP are waking up to the idea if they continue to suppport the war, they’re gonna get knocked off in 2008. With the treat of losing his seat, I won’t be surprised to see McConnell singing a brand-new tune as the election draws near.
With the short attention span most voters seem to have, I expect this sort of self-serving political dance could work. McConnell is a master at this sort of thing, and I also know he’s not above doing anything to win.
Senator Mitch made his position as Senator irrelevant when he voted to give George W. Bush authority to invade Iraq.
The Constitution of the United States of America
Article I
Section 8. Excerpt:
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water.
While I certainly don’t question that Mitch McConnell is an excellent strategist, his flip flop and public embarrassment over the immigration bill proved he is certainly not invincible and likely very worried about the safety of his seat.
I’d say he’s more a tactician than strategist even. The man undoubtedly didn’t have a strategy for dealing with a collapsing Bush presidency and who couldn’t see that one from a mile away.