Editors note: This is the last in a series of election forums that have appeared Sundays on this page. For the past several weeks, The Daily Item has posed a question to the three candidates for the U.S. House of Represenatives seat in the 10th Congressional District. Chris Hackett and Dan Meuser are vying for the Republican nomiantion and incumbent Democratic Congressman Chris Carney is unopposed for his party’s nomination in Tuesday’s Primary Election.



This week’s question:

Which of the three presidential candidates’ plans on Iraq do you support, and why?



Dan Meuser

As someone who is greatly concerned about our nation’s security, I believe that we need to look forward in Iraq rather than look back.

It seems to me that the Democratic candidates have spent their time trying to prove who was more against invading Iraq than talking about what it is they would do if elected.

Unfortunately for our nation, their answers about what they would do have been equally troubling.

I cannot support the Democrat’s retreat-at-all costs answer to the War in Iraq.

Senator McCain has steadfastly supported the troops, even during his criticism of the current adminisration’s plans in Iraq.

I look forward to working with President McCain to make sure that we put ourselves on a clear path to achieving our goals in Iraq, while learning from the mistakes of the past.

I believe that we should allow our commanders in the field to prosecute our efforts in Iraq. General Petraeus has done an effective job of setting goals in Iraq and achieving many of them.

As a member of Congress, I am committed to standing with our military leaders in the field to protect our national security interests.

The Iraqi people must begin to stand up so that American troops can stand down.

We have given the Iraqi people the greatest gift: freedom. They now must decide what it is they are going to do with this great gift.

Congressman Carney and I are very different in our approach to our military.

When President Bush proposed the surge effort, Congressman Carney took to the floor of the House to question the policy. He then voted against the policy, which has yielded many successes.

The men and women of the military can count on me to always stand with them as their Member of Congress.



Chris Hackett

Senator John McCain has more experience and knowledge in military affairs than any candidate for president since General Eisenhower.

When it comes to America’s vital national security, I would strongly side with him over either Sens. Clinton or Obama.

However, as a member of Congress, I would have a duty to follow my own judgment, regardless of who was president. Regarding the war in Iraq, here is how I see it:

First, we must recognize the nature of our enemy. We must never forget the more than 3,000 innocent Americans murdered by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, and we must recognize that those very same terrorist groups and their state-sponsors are fighting us in Iraq. If given the chance, they would strike us again, with even worse consequences. We are doing the right thing in pursuing the terrorists and their sponsors overseas, and that’s one reason our homeland has not been attacked again.

Second, we must give our troops and their commanders the resources, equipment and latitude necessary to achieve their mission. One of the most destructive things Washington politicians can do is attempt to micromanage the war. Worse yet, some in Congress have declared the war lost when our soldiers are still in the field. That’s outrageous.

Third, we must continue to push the Iraqi government to improve its performance so we can safely transfer security responsibilities to them. Our troops should come home at the earliest possible time, but not before we have accomplished our mission and the democratically-elected Iraqi government is stable enough to defend itself against the terrorists.

Our military families are making enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and we owe them a very heavy debt. I believe we best honor them, and best protect our nation, by successfully completing our mission.



Chris Carney

As a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and someone who has traveled to Iraq to meet with our troops, I understand the gravity of the situation and the importance of holding the Iraqis accountable to do the job themselves.

Both sides of the aisle agree that Iraq has been badly mismanaged.

I see that when I talk to veterans at Walter Reed, when I went to Iraq this February and when I talk to people in the district. Our armed forces did a great job. They were ordered to look for WMDs, and they did. They were ordered to find Saddam, and they did. I support them, I am proud of them; I will continue to fund them.

But President Bush has led our troops into a war with no clear vision for victory.

Indeed, the administration has failed to even define what victory in Iraq would be. We now need a plan to get our troops home soon and safely.

Most military experts, including General Patreus, think we can begin bringing troops home. I agree with General Patreus: It is time to start bringing the troops home in a responsible way.

The grim reality in Iraq is that there is no quick fix. Despite a surge of American troops, the Iraqi government is no closer to stability than it was a year ago. We need a way to bring our troops home from Iraq responsibly, so that we can keep stability in the region long after we are gone.

We need to hold Iraq accountable for its own political future.

Our troops have won the war, but the Bush Administration and Iraqi politicians have failed to secure the peace. To have a stable country, there needs to be an Iraqi solution, they need to work together to form their own unified government. As long as the Maliki regime is propped up by US power, it has no incentive to do the hard work of forming a unified Iraqi government.

The Department of Defense has said that nearly 50,000 Iraqi troops can be considered as stand alone ready.

It is time that we bring home that same number of American troops. It is time to honor our troops by giving them adequate rest, medical care, education and time with their families.

As someone who still wears the uniform and as someone charged with protecting this nation, I take my responsibility very seriously. I will continue to fund the troops, but we need to start bringing them home now. Responsibly.