Shortly after we arrived last night at the GOP Presidential Debate on the campus of the University of New Hampshire I suddenly found myself thinking, 2008 is going to be a dismal year for the GOP. I looked through the packet of information the New Hampshire Republicans were passing out at the door hoping to find some kind of commitment to winning the war in Iraq and the war on terror, but there was nothing. On the most important issue of our lifetime there were only vague references. If the Republican presidential candidates follow the lead of our New Hampshire Republicans, avoiding a position on Iraq, it's going to be a bad year for the Republicans.
They didn't. With the exception of Ron Paul, whose supporters generate a lot of noise by the way, the candidates came out strongly in favor of staying in Iraq until the Iraqi people, the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi police, and their government are able to stand on their own. They are committed to victory.
GOLER: Governor Romney, you have suggested that U.S. troops in Iraq move to a support phase after the surge, which pretty much has to end in the spring, and a standby phase after that in Kuwait in Qatar.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems even Hillary Clinton is willing to commit troops to Iraq longer than that, sir.
ROMNEY: I don't have a time frame that I've announced. What I've indicated is very consistent with what the president is speaking about and what we're hearing from Iraq right now, and that is that the surge is apparently working.
We're going to get a full report on that from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker very soon. But the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Brookings have come back with positive reports.
ROMNEY: If the surge is working, then we're going to be able to start bringing back our troops levels slowly but surely, and play more of a support role over time. Ultimately, down the road, I would anticipate that we're not going to have a permanent presence in Iraq, and we'll be in a standby mode in surrounding nations.
But, of course, when we consider moving to a support role and bringing, at some stage, our troop levels back, we're going to be doing that from a position of strength because the surge has worked.
There's no question it's essential for America to show that we are committed to success in Iraq. Our men and women are the bravest and most patriotic in the world that are over there fighting. We deserve to give them the kind of support they need to make this mission successful.
(APPLAUSE)
GOLER: Do you see that support phase, sir, in 2008?
ROMNEY: I'm sorry?
GOLER: Do you see the support phase in 2008?
ROMNEY: I think you're going to begin to see if the surge is working, and I think we're going to get that report very soon, that we're going to begin to slowly but surely pull back to a support role.
ROMNEY: But the timetable for that I hope will be as soon as possible. We all hope for that. We all hope for that. But the question of timetable will depend upon how successful the surge is.
And the key is, we don't start pulling back troops; we don't go into a support mode until we are successful with this surge and we are providing the security and the stability that we anticipate for this country.
GOLER (?): Senator McCain?
MCCAIN: Governor, the surge is working. The surge is working, sir.
ROMNEY: That's just what I said.
MCCAIN: It is working. No, not "apparently"; it's working. It's working because we've got a great general. We've got a good strategy. Anbar province, things have improved.
The Maliki government is not doing the things we want it to do, the police are not functioning the way we want them to do, but we are succeeding.
And the great debate is not whether it's apparently working or not, the great debate is going to take place on the floor of the United States Senate the middle of this month. And it's going to be whether we set a date for withdrawal, which will be a date for surrender, or whether we will let this surge continue and succeed.
MCCAIN: And I can assure you, it's more than apparent, it is working and we have to rally the American people.
People in New Hampshire are saddened and frustrated and angry over our failures in Iraq. I share their anger, their frustration and their failure, and I want them home too. But I want them home for the right reasons. I want our troops home with honor.
Rudy Guiliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney all put in very strong performances in the debate. My misgivings that the GOP will dance around the Iraq issue next year were put to rest. The issue will be front and center, and that's a good thing.
I absolutely agree that it is a good thing that the Republican candidates have, one way or another, taken clear positions on our future course in Iraq. Unfortunately, the leading Democrats (with the exception of Richardson) have not taken clear and coherent positions. I happen to be in the "get out now" camp, and so favor Ron Paul. But I believe it is imperative that the American populace have this debate in the open over the next year and make a clear decision.
Posted by: Fritz | September 06, 2007 at 08:36 PM
The Democrats do seem to be maintaining position flexibility. Ron Paul has a lot of vocal support that I suspect will not translate into primary votes. His brand of libertarianism seems quite naive, thinking he'll disband the CIA, for example. I doubt people will take either him or his position on Iraq seriously, for which I will be thankful.
Posted by: Tom Bowler | September 06, 2007 at 10:32 PM