GOP Senator: Iraq War "May Be Criminal"

[kpete]

GOP Senator: Iraq War "May Be Criminal"
By Justin Rood - December 8, 2006, 1:14 PM

It's the kind of thing you'd expect to hear on Pacifica Radio, not in a speech by a Republican senator.

"I, for one, am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day. That is absurd. It may even be criminal," declared Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), a 10-year veteran of the Senate, in a speech last night.

Did he mean it? Senators rarely throw around words like "criminal," especially when talking about actions by their own party. What's he going to do about it? Well, Gordon has been known to act on his convictions when he thinks a president has broken the law: he voted in favor of the 1996 impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

The speech in its entirety:

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002104.php

[originalpckelly]

1. I hope he switches parties and become a Democrat.

However, Oregonians on DU don't seem to like him at all.

[Taverner]

2. Ahhhh Oregon....doin' me proud

Oregon Republicans have always been just a little different. Not the Eastern and Southern Oregonians, but Republicans from the Willamette Valley. Mark Hatfield and (yes even) Bob Packwood were always decent, issue wise. Too bad the Repubs chased most of these guys out of the party.

[xultar]

3. WE NEED A FAINTING SMILIE!!!

[Poiuyt]

6. Here:

[xultar]

8. Thanks. I have a feeling we are gonna need it for the next 2 years.

[Mandate My Ass]

4. If he voted for the impeachment of Clinton

and doesn't see the colossal difference in magnitude and scope of Bush's criminality in his continued support of this deadly, failed and atrociously expensive debacle....:shrug:

[tsuki]

5. Thom Hartman spoke against him today. Apparently, he's sticks

a finger in the air to see which way it is blowing right before the election.

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. I wonder if he felt this way PRIOR to November 7, 2006?

:eyes:

[originalpckelly]

9. If he's another vote against the Iraq war, I'll take it...

soldiers are more important than politics.

[Shipwack]

10. I hate to bring the precipitation to this marching column...

... but I think some here are misconstruing what he said.

It seems to me that he's not calling the -war- a criminal act, but the stupidity of the plan of having our soldiers patrol the streets day after day, only to get blown up. To keep on doing this with no positive effect for us is a crime against the brave men and women in uniform, who swore an oath to defend the US, not to die needlessly to preserve the President's image.

Even still, it's nice to see some Republicans actually think of hte troops without an election breathing down their necks.

[Solly Mack]

11. That's how I read it

[niyad]

12. what an opportunistic ass.

[depakid]

13. He's just posturing because he's up for re-election

When push comes to shove, he'll walk lock step in barrel with the far right.

[BuyingThyme]

14. Damn, you've got a long, ugly rope, Gord.