Smith on Iraq
Smith Voted For Troop Escalation Before He Voted Against It.In early February, Smith essentially voted in support of President Bush’s plan to send more than 21,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq by refusing to even allow debate on a resolution blocking the President’s plan. Less than two weeks later and under intense political pressure, Smith flipped and voted against the escalation.[Vote 43, 2/5/07; Vote 51, 2/17/07]
- Editorial: "Follow the Bouncing Senator." In an editorial written between the first and second Smith votes on escalation, the Oregonian opined that Smith has "been here, there, everywhere on the war, on a Senate resolution opposing President Bush's troop escalation, even on the question of debating the issue in the Senate." They concluded, "Gordon Smith needs to explain himself on Iraq." [Oregonian, 2/10/07]
Smith Has Repeatedly Voted Against Sufficient Armor for U.S. Troops on the Front Lines. Since the war in Iraq began, Smith has voted against repeated attempts to increase funding to procure and repair military equipment and armor. This includes his vote against $361 million to procure armored Tactical Wheeled Vehicles for units deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. [Vote 248, 10/5/05; Vote 108, 4/21/05; Vote 376, 10/2/03; Vote 116, 4/2/03; Vote 18, 2/14/06; Vote 8, 2/2/06]
Voted Four Times Against Investigating Pre-War Intelligence. In April 2006, Smith voted against cloture on a filibuster on defense nomination over outstanding intelligence records request. [Vote #92, 4/7/06; AP, 4/7/06] In October and July 2003, Smith voted against an investigative committee. [Vote #284, 7/16/03; Knight Ridder, 7/17/03; Vote #395, 10/17/03; CQ Daily Monitor, 10/17/03] In July of 2003, Smith voted against withholding $50 million in intelligence funding in the Bush administration handed over documents relating to prewar intelligence. [Vote #287, 7/17/03; AP, 7/17/03]
Smith Voted Four Times Against Investigating Waste and Fraud in Iraq Contracts. In June 2006, Smith voted to kill a proposal to establish a special committee in the U.S. Senate, modeled after the Truman Committee, to exercise oversight over contracting abuses related to reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. He voted against similar votes five other times in June 2006, November 2005, October 2005, September 2005, and October 2003. [Vote #176, 6/20/06; Vote #316, 11/10/05; Vote #259, 10/19/05; Vote #228, 9/14/05; Vote #398, 10/17/03; New York Times, 6/20/06]
Smith Voted Twice to Protect War Profiteers. In June 2004, Smith voted to kill a measure that would have cracked down on war profiteering by making it a new federal crime subject to up to 20 years in prison. He took a similar vote in June of 2006. [Vote 120, 6/16/04; Vote #169, 6/14/06; AP, 6/16/04]
Smith Has Been “Here, There, Everywhere” On The War,
Opposing Withdrawal And Then Supporting It. In
June 2006, Smith called the possibility of withdrawing of troops from Iraq "a tactical mistake of monumental proportions."
[Congressional Record, 6/21/06] In December of 2006, however, Smith
suddenly broke ranks with the President calling the war “absurd” and
“criminal.” [AP, 12/8/06] This flip and his one on troop escalation prompted the Oregonian to say that Smith’s “been here, there, everywhere on the war.” [Oregonian,
2/10/07]
But He Voted More Than 20 Times In Support of Bush
Smith Voted More Than 20 Times To Support Bush's War in Iraq. Smith has consistently voted to support the Bush Administration's War in Iraq for the last five years. Since the initial authorization, the Republicans could count on Smith to maintain U.S. troop levels in Iraq and continue funding the war and Iraqi reconstruction. [Vote #181, 5/24/07; Vote #103, 5/2/06; Vote #130, 6/17/04; Vote #399, 10/17/03; Vote #394, 10/17/03; Vote #392, 10/17/03; Vote #391, 10/17/03; Vote #389, 10/16/03; Vote #380, 10/14/03; Vote #379, 10/14/03; Vote #371, 10/1/03; Vote #167, 5/16/07; Vote #243, 9/13/06; Vote #182, 6/22/06; Vote #181, 6/22/06; Vote #322, 11/15/05; Vote #44, 2/5/07; Vote #236, 10/10/02; Vote #235, 10/10/02; Vote #232, 10/10/02]
Most Recently, Smith Voted for Final 2007 War Spending Bill With Benchmarks But No Withdrawal Language. In May 2007, Smith joined his colleagues in voting 80-14 for the final FY07 supplemental spending bill, which set benchmarks that the Iraqi government must meet to continue to receive aid. The final package did not include earlier withdrawal language that had been vetoed by President Bush. [Vote #181, 5/24/07; UPI, 5/25/07]
Posted June 15, 2007 Iraq, Smith vs. Smith 0 comments
Comments
Post a comment