|
|
Friday, April 18, 2008
|
|
Coleman, proud of his record, sees 2nd term
Associate Editor Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., said Thursday that Americans are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel in the Iraq war, but an immediate pull-out or arbitrary deadlines are not the answers.
In a phone interview from Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Coleman said his track record of helping Minnesotans would help him win a second term despite certain advantages the Democrats enjoy this year. He said he's confident he'll be re-elected to a second term and he might have been facing an uphill battle if he wasn't running against Al Franken, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
"I've got 30 years of producing for Minnesota," Coleman said, citing his efforts for rural hospitals and other issues. "I'm running against a guy, who in the last 30 years ... His path has been one of being a critic. I'm out there fighting for low-income heating assistance.
"I'm running against someone who can't show a positive thing he's done. His approach is one of those people throwing gas on the fire for the last 30 years."
After questioning Gen. David Petraeus earlier this month, Coleman said the Iraq commander has earned the right for a 45-day assessment period before a decision is made on the possibility of troop withdrawals.
Setting artificial withdrawal dates or cutting off funding for troops puts the soldiers in Iraq at risk and undermines the sacrifices that have been made, Coleman said.
"I think it's somewhat irresponsible to set deadlines on political considerations.
"In the end the commander-in-chief is going to set the agenda," he said. "I think all of us want our troops to come home safely and as soon as possible."
Coleman agreed with recent assessment of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who said the next president will have to continue the troop draw-down at some pace because the current strain on our military forces is too great.
"Absolutely," Coleman said. "I don't think there's any question about that. There is clearly great stress on our troops ... There's going to be drawing down but it does have to be done safely"
The Iraqis need to be paying more for their own reconstruction and for their security, Coleman also wants to see accelerated political progress by the Iraqis.
Turning to domestic issues, the former St. Paul mayor said he's talked with Gov. TIm Pawlenty about the recent line-item veto of light rail line funding that would qualify the state for $450 million in federal funding and he's hopeful that decision might be reversed.
An advocate of light rail use, Coleman said he wants to see how the rest of the legislative session plays out on the issue.
"I think it's premature to read this project its last rites," Coleman said. "This may be a simple matter of leverage."
There is a wide range of things the federal government can do, he said, regarding the home foreclosure crisis. The remedies include refinancing of the loans of risky adjustable rate mortgages, providing tax credits for first-time homeowners in order to get excess inventory off the market. He also noted a provision he wrote into a bill to provide a longer grace period for military veterans whose homes are in foreclosure proceedings.
"We have a role to play," he said. "There's no silver bullet on this one. I've been very, very active."
MIKE O'ROURKE may be reached at mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5860.
To Subscribe to the Brainerd Dispatch, Click Here.
Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Brainerd Dispatch. Please read our posting rules in the terms of service policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the triangle alert icon.
|
|
|
|
Thinking about a New Job?
These employers want you!
|
Loading...
|
|
|
Today's Best Classifieds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
