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Secret GOP memo politicizes war

BY J. JIONI PALMER | Newsday Washington Bureau

June 15, 2006

WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader John Boehner intends to use an upcoming floor debate on the Iraq war as a platform for GOP lawmakers to portray themselves as tougher than Democrats on "national security polices," according to a confidential memo obtained by Newsday.

In the memo, which attempts to cast military action in Iraq as a response to the 9/11 attacks, Boehner urges Republicans to emphasize that Democratic policy "sheepishly dismisses the challenges" of global terrorism.

Today lawmakers are expected to consider a nonbinding resolution sponsored by Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), chairman of the House International Relations Committee, proclaiming that the United States will "prevail in the global war on terror."

The memo says it is "imperative" that the military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq be depicted as actions taken in the aftermath of 9/11. It stresses that Republicans can gain an advantage over Democrats by framing their message the right way.

"Republicans believe victory in Iraq will be an important blow to terrorism and the threat it poses around the world," according to the memo, which was distributed to House Republicans. "Democrats, on the other hand, are prone to waver endlessly about the use of force to protect American ideals."

Capitol Hill Democrats denounced the memo and the resolution yesterday as another attempt by congressional leaders to confuse the public with a political charade posing as policy.

"This whole thing is a trick and this [memo] is the smoking gun that this is a trick," said Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Jamaica Estates).

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) said that if the Republicans were truly interested in an honest debate about Iraq they would allow members to offer amendments to the resolution.

"Again they are trying to paint Democrats as unpatriotic and not standing by the military and that is an out-and-out lie," said McCarthy, who voted to authorize the use of force in Afghanistan and Iraq. "It should be Republicans and Democrats working together to figure out a way out of this problem."

Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) agreed that a solution could be found through a bipartisan partnership. He called the memo "a public relations stunt."