The Iowa Senate debated the prospect of war with Iraq for two hours last night. Senators overwhelmingly voted to support President Bush and the troops, and rejected a resolution that criticized the idea of the U.S. going it alone against Iraq without United Nations backing. (as said in wrap) Democrat Senator Mike Connolly of Dubuque spoke out against the war, saying it was “unAmerican” to attack a country that hasn’t attacked us. Connolly said he wants to keep American men and women out of battle, and he hopes the Senators who voted like he did “struck a chord for peace.” Senator Jack Hatch, a democrat from Des Moines, said President Bush’s assertion that America must strike first is “revolutionary.”Hatch said never before had America embarked on a “war this big without a clear threat to the security of our people, our land.” Senator Jack Holveck, a democrat from Des Moines, also spoke against what he called the “carnage” of war. Holveck says American troops will face things that’re too horrible to imagine, things that will make the Gulf War “look like a picnic.” (as said in wrap) Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson of Dows said Hussein’s time is running out. Iverson said “appeasement gets you nothing but more headaches” and Iverson told a joke that’s making the rounds. “How many Frenchmen does it take to guard Paris? The answer’s nobody knows, they’ve never done it,” Iverson said. Republican Senator David Miller of Batavia said Hussein’s a tyrant who’s committed unspeakable crimes against his own people.. Miller spoke of Hussein’s torture of a cleric, and the beheading of Hussein’s own son-in-law. Republican Senator Jerry Behn of Boone scoffed at the idea diplomats should be given more time to iron out the situation. Behn says diplomacy has been tried for over 10 years, and it hasn’t worked to disarm Hussein. Some lawmakers like Democrat Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo voted both to insist upon United Nations backing for war with Iraq and to support President Bush’s foreign policy initiative, even if that means going to war against Saddam without the U.N.Senate Democrat Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs also backed the idea of seeking a United Nations coalition to deal with Saddam as well as unflagging support for whatever President Bush decides to do. He says a country should be real careful about sending its sons and daughters off to die when they haven’t exhausted all avenues for resolving the problem peacefully. He says he doesn’t think the U.S. has done that. And others, like Senator Dennis Black — a democrat from Newton, questioned why the Iowa Seante was debating foreign policy. Black, tongue in cheek, said he was amazed by the knowledge of international affairs some of the Senators displayed and he suggested the “ought to be in Congress” instead of the state Senate. Black said the Senators should “be dealing with the issues that relate to the state.”
