ePMedia: Juan Cole, an expert on Middle Eastern affairs, a widely read leftist, antiwar journalist and professor, points out that a major flaw of creating a timeline is the very real potential for a civil war. Grand Ayatollah Sistani, who is frail and in his ’80s, is a wanted man by Sunni Arab guerillas. If he’s assassinated, civil war is sure to break out. Isn’t Iraq simply too fragile for timelines?
MB: Commanders on the ground have the best sense of what is going on there. In the last two weeks, the numbers one and two commanders in Iraq have actually said that a good message to send to the Iraqis is that we do have a timeline and a plan for withdrawal, so that the Iraqi leaders know that they need to be taking responsibility and taking control of their country, and to let them know that we’re not going to be there forever. A timeline and a plan are important messages to send.
ePMedia: In April this year, you launched a clever Web ad calling on Chafee to oppose the John Bolton nomination, saying, “John Bolton is one of the most extreme of all of Bush’s nominees. He opposed the nuclear test ban treaty, he criticized the universal declaration of human rights.” On September 14th leaders of 175 nations are meeting in New York to finalize an agreement on poverty and on UN reform. The agreement took six months to negotiate and is only 29 pages long. At the last minute, the United States added 750 amendments to the agreement.
One month into his controversial recess appointment, Bolton has issued a memo requesting negotiation of sweeping changes to this agreement. Some of his proposals would eliminate new pledges of foreign aid to poor nations, halt actions regarding climate change, and scrap the 2000 Millennium Development Goals, which created deadlines to meet reduction of poverty goals and prevent the spread of deadly diseases, etc. Bolton and the White House, are working on the premise that they’re trying to streamline the UN in general. What is your response?
MB: This is why Lincoln Chafee’s weak leadership on the Bolton nomination was such a serious problem for this country. Chafee had declared in public that he didn’t think Bolton was a very good choice; yet in the end he voted for Bolton in committee because, he said, “If I stick with the White House on this, they will remember it.” So yes, his support for Bolton was just the worst kind of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” politics. That’s a dangerous game to play, especially with an appointment so important to our national security. These amendments that John Bolton has put in are a terrible example of why Lincoln Chafee’s support for him was so bad for this country and for our reputation around the world.
ePMedia: Chafee has a generally favorable standing amongst Rhode Islanders so says The Providence Journal. Besides name recognition, he has a persona that doesn't seem politically motivated. Yes, he sometimes is nuanced. But, nuance could be a sign he thinks and tests his position first. Further, he has a good environmental record, most recently voting against a pork-filled energy bill and securing funding to improve, and conserve, cleaner water. He even drives, unpretentiously, a Toyota Prius. Matt, he has voted against the war, votes pro-choice 100% of the time, and has said point blank that he favors "social programs". Do you think he as failed Rhode Island? How so?
MB: The question I have for Lincoln Chafee is what has he done to make life better for people in Rhode Island? He just doesn’t get it. What has he done to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs? What has he done to create good paying jobs here in Rhode Island? To give everyone a shot at a good education?
The bottom line is Chafee likes to claim he is a moderate, but he votes with the Bush Administration 80% of the time. That’s not moderate. Chafee has been all over the place when it comes to the war in Iraq – most recently his office said they didn’t know whether he supported holding President Bush accountable for setting a plan to start withdrawing the troops from Iraq. That’s not effective leadership. And Chafee has voted for a number of anti-choice judges NARAL disapproves of, even the ultra-conservative Janice Rogers Brown.
I’m running because we need a U.S. Senator who will stand up to the special interests and hold President Bush accountable.
ePMedia: Following up on Bolton. He’s in. What can be done to get him out? Regardless of criticism, the Bush administration is moving forward.
MB: Not only was Bolton a bad choice, but the way Bush sneaked him in during the congressional recess is the wrong way to do it. There’s a reason for the approval process — this is an important appointment. And to go around that approval process and force an unqualified, incompetent nominee on the American people to represent us in the UN is a terrible thing to do.
ePMedia: Do you see a solution?
MB: Replace him!
Special Thanks to ePluribus Media researchers Silence and JeninRI.
Other ePluribus Media contributors: Sue in KY, Cho, Standingup, Aaron Barlow, avahome, luaptifer and kfred
Photo Credits: Matt Brown for U.S. Senate
If you like what ePMedia's been doing with research, reviews and interviews, please consider donating to help with our efforts.