New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan
Darren White
It appears the campaign of ABQ GOP US House hopeful Darren White has figured out that calling for “victory” in Iraq is not the most persuasive argument to attract needed Democratic votes. When he announced his candidacy in October the Bernalillo County Sheriff had Dems jumping out of their chairs when he said: “Our troops must return in victory.” Not that there’s anything wrong with victory. It’s just that most voters in the moderate district don’t think of victory in the way White intimated. They want the war wound down, not up. It appears White’s campaign has recognized their blunder because in his most recent statement on his Web site the “V word” is gone with the wind.
In October the congressional hopeful said:
“Unfortunately, mistakes have been made by those in Washington. And the Iraqi government has not stepped up like they need to. They must be pushed harder…We all want to bring our troops home. And I will work to do just that. But our troops must return in victory, because Al Qaeda must be denied a sanctuary in Iraq…
Fast forward to February:
It is critical that we deny al-Qaeda a sanctuary in Iraq, which would only provide the terrorists a safe haven to launch attacks against America. Let’s also be honest, success in Iraq involves much more than military action alone. To bring our troops home, we must implement measures of accountability, both militarily and politically….”
The war has taken on renewed importance in the ABQ congressional race because probable GOP Prez nominee John McCain has said American troops could be stationed there for 100 years–a statement the Dems are sure to try to hang around the neck of White. Because the Sheriff is most identified with the public safety and the national security, any inroads the Dems could make on the issue could be unusually rewarding. White’s move to notch down the Iraq rhetoric seems to be recognition of that. It’s not only Dems watching. ABQ GOP State Senator Joe Carraro is also seeking the GOP nomination.
