Kerry's Ambiguous Position on Iraq Alienates Progressive Voters

Interview with Matthew Rothschild, editor of the Progressive Magazine, conducted by Scott Harris

As the war in Iraq continues, rebel attacks have spread to almost all corners of the nation. Battles between U.S troops, Iraqi forces and militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr have broken out again in the holy city of Najaf, Badhdad's Sadr City and in other towns across southern Iraq. The U.S. campaign to drive Moktada al-Sadr out of Najaf comes as other insurgent groups continue to carry out attacks against American troops and members of the Iraqi military and police force.

A three-day conference in Baghdad organized to elect a commission that will plan Iraqi elections next year was disrupted on Aug. 15 by mortar attacks and protests by delegates who demanded that the U.S. end its siege of Najaf.

Amid this violence and chaos, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry surprised many when he answered a reporter's questions about whether he would still have voted to give President Bush the authority to go to war, even knowing what we know now about the non-existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Kerry's answered by saying: "Yes, I would have voted for the authority. I believe it was the right authority for a president to have." Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Matthew Rothschild editor of the Progressive Magazine, who assesses Sen. Kerry's often ambiguous position on Iraq and how this may effect the support of progressive voters in the coming presidential election.

Read Matthew Rothschild's commentary titled, "Kerry on Iraq: Yes to the Imperial President," online at www.progressive.org or call the magazine at (608) 257-4626.

Related links:

"Kerry on Iraq: Yes to the Imperial President," Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive, Aug. 11, 2004

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