Voinovich to oppose Iraq buildup

Friday, February 09, 2007
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

WASHINGTON — Ohio Sen. George V. Voinovich has joined a contingent of fellow Republicans backing a resolution to oppose President Bush’s troop-surge plan for Iraq.

Voinovich was one of seven Republican senators to sign a letter Wednesday night calling on Senate leaders to stop partisan bickering and hold final votes on nonbinding resolutions about the proposal to add 21,500 U.S. troops to the forces in Iraq.

Sen. George V. Voinovich previously said a "resolution of disapproval would be more politics than policy."

Voinovich said yesterday that he also plans to vote for an anti-surge resolution sponsored by GOP Sen. John Warner of Virginia, the main author of the letter. The resolution states disapproval of the Bush plan and calls for benchmarks the Iraqis should meet to show progress.

Before the letter was sent out, Voinovich was among the Republicans who voted to block the Warner resolution from coming to a vote. Voinovich has expressed skepticism about the surge, but had said he was afraid a resolution of disapproval would be more politics than policy.

Yesterday, Voinovich said a vote is necessary to show the American people that their elected representatives are doing their jobs. And he backs the anti-surge resolution because it is time for the Iraqi government, not additional U.S. troops, to deal with growing sectarian violence in Iraq.

While it would be a "disaster" for Iraq and the region for the United States to withdraw its troops right now, "we think it’s time for the Iraqis to ... deal with the sectarian problem," Voinovich said. More .....

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I am glad to see Voinovich wants people to know he is doing his job!

This is to John Kerryish for me to ever vote for Voinovich again. No more $85 hot dog fund raisers for me.

Why do our elected officials not understand the troop "surge" will enable the Iraqi's to start fighting the secretarian and insurgent violence?

The "surge" of troops will allow us to train more Iraqi troops, so we can come home faster.

Voinovich reallys disappoints me in his statement - "resolution of disapproval would be more politics than policy."

Sorry, but I cannot support anybody who relates American Lives to politics!

KING