Leach had some surprising quotes on Iowa Press this weekend

[pstans]

I heard some quotes from Republican Representive Jim Leach on NPR. He said that we should not go to war in Iran. This was surprising coming from a Rethug when not many Democrats are saying this.

He also had some positive quotes about Iraq and sending troops home.

Iowa Press is on IPTV on Friday night and on Sunday. Sorry, not sure what times, but that is what they said on NPR.

[pstans]

1. Show times

Iowa Press is broadcast Friday evening from 7:30 to 8:00 and Sunday from noon to 12:30 on Iowa Public Television.

There was a transcript from last weeks show on the website. When they get the transcript from Leach, I will post them.

Here is the website: http://www.iptv.org/iowapress/

[FuzzySlippers]

2. It's on Friday 7:30 p.m.

and Sunday 12:00 p.m.

[Bluzmann57]

3. His comments shouldn't be surprising

Jim Leach was, is, and always will be a moderate Republican who doesn't toe the neocon line. He was our Congressman in the First District for many years and put the people of the district first. What a novel concept! A politician who works for his constituents, instead of the other way around. Please don't be so quick to put him down just because of his party affiliation. Try and learn something about him first. I also remember him saying at the beginning of the entire Clinton mess that he thought it was a mistake, that Whitewater was simply bad investments and that it should have never gone as far as it did. I do wish, however, that he would have stuck around the First District and took on Nussle. I think Leach would have won that primary.

[Hobarticus]

4. Leach isn't a bad guy...and I wish he'd stayed to beat Nussle too.

[rurallib]

5. Leach says good things

but when the chips are down he's a man the pukes can count on. He always makes sure his side will win before he he casts one of them 'conscience' votes he's so famous for.
He's slick. Franker kept pointing this out during the campaign, but no one listened. Leach's two best friends are:
1) Donald Rumsfeld
2) Dick Cheney
He can say things such as he does for consumption in his district, it makes no difference when he's needed by the party.

I am curious about your comment about beating Nussle. Could you elaborate? They are in different districts. Leach will never run for governor.

[Hobarticus]

6. Leach is from Davenport, in Nussle's district...

I know they're not in the same district. I wasn't referring to the governor race, and was wishing out loud that someone else, even if it was Leach, was repping my district besides Nussle.

You'd know Leach more than I would.

[rurallib]

7. Leach moved to Johnson County

after the last redisticting, so he could run without having to go head to head with Nussle. He lives out by my brother.

[pstans]

8. Here are Leach's quotes

Leach: THERE'S A NEOCON MOVEMENT IN WASHINGTON THAT IS FOR THE CREATION OF SEMIPERMANENT BASING IN IRAQ FOR WHICH AMERICA WILL THEN BE ABLE TO PROJECT FORCE WITHIN THE COUNTRY AND WITHIN THE REGION TOWARDS SYRIA, TOWARDS IRAN, TOWARDS PALESTINE. I THINK THIS IS SUCH FRAIL LOGIC, I CAN'T TELL YOU. I THINK THIS HAS TO BE PUT ASIDE. IF WE THINK WE CAN USE IRAQ AS A STAGING GROUND FOR MILITARY ACTIVITY ON A LONG-TERM BASIS, I THINK WE'LL BE BRINGING UPON OURSELVES GREAT GRIEF WITHIN THE COUNTRY AND FAR GREATER GRIEF IN THE WORLD AND THAT THAT, AS MUCH AS ANYTHING, COULD HELP PRECIPITATE THIS JUDAEO CHRISTIAN VERSUS MUSLIM CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE ATTEMPTING TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Yepsen: CONGRESSMAN, DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE MILITARY ACTION IN IRAN?
Leach: I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE A GREATER MISTAKE TODAY. THERE'S THIS MODEL OF WHAT ISRAEL DID IN IRAQ TWENTY ODD YEARS AGO. I DON'T THINK IT FITS IRAN TODAY. IF WE ARE INVOLVED WITH MILITARY ACTION IN IRAN AS THE THIRD MUSLIM STATE IN WHICH WE HAVE INTERVENED DIRECTLY AT OUR CHOICE, THE OTHER SIDE IS GOING TO THINK THAT WE'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE PRECIPITATED THIS CLASH OF CIVILIZATION AND I THINK IT WILL BE VERY LARGE IN ITS REACTION. WE WILL BE CREATING FOREVER, AND BY FOREVER, FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OR TWO, AN ENEMY IN IRAN THAT YOU DON'T EXACTLY HAVE. I THINK NOW IS A TIME FOR EMPHASIS AND DIPLOMACY PROBABLY LED BY THE EUROPEANS AND, MOST OF ALL, A TIME TO IDENTIFY WITH THE IRANIAN PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM HAVE BEEN -- ALMOST TWO MILLION WERE EDUCATED IN THE UNITED STATES. THERE'S A RESERVOIR OF GOODWILL IN IRAN THAT DOESN'T EXIST IN A LOT OF COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

Here is the link the entire interview: http://www.iptv.org/iowapress/transcript_detail.cfm?ipShowNum=3223

[Rambis]

9. I gotta put a stop to this love fest

Leach is not on our side no matter what. He votes the way he does because it throws a carrott to liberals in Johnson county. He has voted when it mattered only once. He was the deciding vote when the medicare bill that is going to bankrupt the program (which is what they want) If he really cared about Iowans he could have stopped it since we have a ton of older folks here. He voted no on the war only after he knew it would pass by a landslide. He voted not to let more moderate bills that would have slowed the race to war out of committee. Then he stands up and says "I voted against the war" when in fact he aided the rush to war. He voted against a bill but let the war happen at a quicker pace. Don't buy this schite from this guy.

[rurallib]

11. Well stated, Rambis

Leach is ranked lower than the lowest Dem on the liberal voting rankings. He's there when the Repubs need him, note the vote on the Medicare bill.
The second district would be well served to throw him out. Notice that a member of his seniority has few committee assignments and none with any substance. With his so called expertise in banking and agriculture he's serving on some east Asian committee (or was last term). Leach is essentially retired.
In the republican house caucus to change the rules so Tom DeLay could continue to serve if he were indicted, Leach claims he voted "no". Stephen King claims there was only one or two who voted no and no one from Iowa. Typical. We have no way to know.
Sorry to seem so strident on this, but I see Leach as a charlatan, the kind who gets sent back to congress year after year and no one pays any attention to what he does. But he uses the press to create an image of the 'middle-of the-road', 'independent' man with 'integrity'.
As I said before his two best friends are:
1) Don Rumsfeld
2) Dick Cheney

[progressoid]

10. I'm hoping for some outright battles between the

Neocons and the old GOP on things like Iran, SS, the budget, etc. But, realistically they'll probably do most of the fighting behind closed doors to avoid the PR issues.

Would be nice to see an actual debate of ideas sometime though.

[MARALE]

12. Jim Leech did not vote for the war

He is one Repub that I respect for this.


# Voted NO on approving removal of Saddam & valiant service of US troops. (Mar 2004)
# Voted NO on authorizing military force in Iraq. (Oct 2002)
# Voted NO on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo. (May 1999)



http://www.issues2000.org/House/Jim_Leach.htm#War_+_Peace

[pstans]

13. Great site

That is a great site that shows where the politicians stand the issues. The graphs are a nice way to see the whole picture.