September 13, 2007
Bean, opponents stick to party lines on Iraq war
Political opponents of U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, D-8th, used this week's Congressional hearings on Iraq to state their intentions on how they would fund the war.
U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the multinational force in Iraq, and Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before Congress this week on political and military progress in Iraq, igniting renewed debate across the country on America's role in the conflict.
In the 8th District, candidates for Congress echoed their parties' sentiments on the war effort, with Republicans in favor of a sustained military presence in Iraq and Democrats calling for a change in strategy.
Bean, of Barrington, who will have to survive a primary challenge and the general election to win a third term in the House, countered Petraeus' assessment that "the overall number of security incidents in Iraq has declined in eight of the past 12 weeks," pointing out that "we have lost more U.S. troops during the summer of 2007 than in any previous summer."
Bean voted along party lines in favor of House Resolutions 1591 and 2956 this year, both of which called for a reduction in troop levels in Iraq by a prescribed timeline.
"Following my trip to Iraq two years ago, I called for measurable benchmarks and accountability for military and political progress there," she said in a statement Tuesday. "Two years later, my position has not changed. In terms of overall security, stability and self-governance, the situation has not changed. Sadly, the president's approach to addressing that reality has not changed."
The three candidates who have announced the will seek the Republican nomination in the 8th Congressional District were steadfast in supporting the administration's handling of the Iraq war.
Gurnee resident Kirk Morris has confidence in Petraeus's strategy of transitioning security responsibilities from American troops to Iraqi government.
"What we've been saying all along is that the Iraqi people need to stand up, and that's what they've been doing," he said.
Morris supports the military surge that deployed additional troops to hot spots throughout Iraq this year to help quell violence there.
Long Grove resident Steve Greenberg agrees that the troop surge has had a positive effect on the war effort.
"We all want our troops home as soon as possible and the best way to produce that result is to support our efforts to defeat al Qaeda in Iraq and stabilize the country," Greenberg said in a statement. He added that Petraeus' strategy "is working" and that "achievable victory is possible."
Ken Arnold, another Gurnee resident, agreed that the surge is working and said that it will take time to see progress in the region. He referred to the Democrats' proposed troop withdrawal schedules as "timetables to surrender."
Arnold said that Congress should instead focus on a financing plan that would allow the Iraqi government to pay back American investment in the war.
On the opposite end of the political spectrum, Randi Scheurer, Bean's announced Democratic challenger in the primary, hammered home her message of ending the war immediately.
"No new funding for the war! Not one more day! Not one more death! Not one more dollar!" she said in a statement. "Any money we spend now should be to safely bring our troops home right away, protecting refugees as we go, and working with experienced peacebuilders -- experts in negotiation, truth and reconciliation, and mediation -- removing our military presence entirely from that country."
( http://www.pioneerlocal.com/schaumburg/news/554597,sc-8thpetraeus-091307-s1.articleprint )