Bowles, Dole Support Bush's Stance on Iraq

U.S. Senate hopefuls Erskine Bowles and Elizabeth Dole both support President Bush's policy of removing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from power, but experts say that unless the candidates press the issue in debates, it is not likely to have a significant impact on the election.

Both Bowles, a Democrat, and Dole, a Republican, released statements last week expressing their support of Bush's efforts to change the Iraqi regime.

Bush's address to the United Nations on Thursday warned that Iraq is a "grave and gathering danger." He said the United States wants to work through the U.N. Security Council but warned that military action would be unavoidable if Iraq refused to comply with U.N. regulations.

Bowles said in his statement that he commends Bush for appealing to an international body for assistance in overthrowing Hussein and installing a new government in Iraq that would be more cooperative with U.N. weapons inspectors.

"I am sure that the president will continue to make the case for action to the American people, the Congress and our allies," Bowles was quoted as saying in a statement. "I believe the president is right to work to forge an international effort to effect a regime change, a goal I do and have supported."

Dole also expressed her support for Bush's ultimatum that Security Council resolutions be enforced or face military action.

"With Saddam Hussein we're dealing with a man who would love to destroy the United States, there's not a question in my mind," Dole was quoted as saying in a statement. "It makes sense for the first step to be to try and get inspectors back into Iraq, but those inspections must be unfettered, immediate and absolutely open. If not, all bets are off."

A proactive stance on Iraq is not a new position for Dole, said Mary Brown Brewer, a spokeswoman for the Dole campaign. "(Dole's) been talking about Iraq for months now, and she has been saying the same thing over and over," Brewer said. "Saddam Hussein is dangerous. He proves a threat to region's stability and to the American people in his sponsorship of terrorism."

Bowles also showed support for an Iraqi regime change in the past, his press release states.

Weapons in Hussein's control contributed to Bowles' position on the issue, said his spokeswoman Susan Lagana.

Weapons reserves in Iraq contain long-range missiles with unconventional warheads. Hussein has also used chemical weapons on Iraqi citizens in the past.

But UNC political science Professor George Rabinowitz said he expects the issue of military action in Iraq to take a back burner to other issues during the campaign. "I think Bowles is going to try to make the election about jobs and the economy," he said.

He also said it is not unusual for a member of the Democratic party, which has been reluctant to support military action since the Vietnam War, to come out in support of retaliation against Iraq.

"I think many Democrats will come out in support of the Iraq decision," Rabinowitz said. "I think in general the parties are not highly discriminated on their willingness to use defense."

 

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.