Sep 11, 2007 10:27am

the Rashomon War

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper today reports (CLICK HERE) that Rep. Jim Walsh, R-NY, has returned from a trip to Iraq convinced that US troops must soon start coming home from Iraq. The progress made is insufficient, he says. 

"Before I went, I was not prepared to say it’s time to start bringing our troops home," Walsh told the newspaper. "I am prepared to say that now. It’s time."

And yet, when Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., visited the country recently, the antiwar liberal became convinced the surge should be given more time to work, as he explained to us in our podcast (CLICK HERE).

(Baird has since been targeted by antiwar liberals, including those at MoveOn.org   CLICK HERE).

How is it that two congressmen can reach such different conclusions, ones that generally don’t fit in with what must be some powerful partisan inclinations?

– jpt

User Comments

It’s funny, Jake, but this isn’t the way I remember any of this. Mr. Kurosawa would have argued that the conclusions you draw all depend upon your point of view. Sen. John McCain argued that the surge was working after his visit earlier this year; for him, it probably was, given that he was surrounded by troops whenever he left the Green Zone. Rep. John Murtha, who (to the best of my knowledge) has not visited Iraq recently, would argue vehemently against it for those very reasons.

Posted by: chuck | September 11, 2007, 11:03 am 11:03 am

Jake I will tell you why – Walsh is a Dem in Republican clothing, he is from a very Blue State so he acts like a Dem and can not stand on princilple.
The other is a Dem and is from another Blue state and does not have to worry about being re-elected.
One thing I would like to say is that everybody is anti-war, so calling those libs anti-war is a publicity stunt they are anti-American.

Posted by: spock | September 12, 2007, 11:00 am 11:00 am

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