by Frank James
Listen to enough Capitol Hill press conferences, hearings or floor speeches and you're likely to hear a lawmaker say something like "I just returned from Iraq." Often a lawmaker will say he or she has returned from his or her second or third trip. It's striking how many times an observer hears this. It's clearly said to establish one bona fides. Sometimes it even sounds a little like bragging.
The Hill has a story today in which its reporters did some research to learn just how many times lawmakers, at least in the Senate, have been to Iraq. The leader is Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.,) a West Point graduate, with ten visits. The Hill was able to determine that at least 76 senators have visited Iraq.
According to the article, lawmakers use the visits to establish their right to speak authoritatively about what's happening there.
That has led to some curious situations. The article, for instance, notes that Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), a Vietnam War, combat-tested veteran and former Navy secretary who hasn't visited Iraq, but whose Marine son has served in Iraq, was lectured by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
As a recent case in point, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) alluded to his Iraq travel when he challenged Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) in a July 15 debate on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Graham, who has gone to Iraq seven times, took Webb to task after the freshman senator said that less than half of the military believes that the U.S. should be in Iraq.
“Have you been to Iraq?” Graham charged. “Have you ever been and talked to them?”
Webb, who has not made a trip to the country, replied by disparaging the congressional delegations as “dog and pony shows” that do not confront the reality on the ground.
Webb’s views may well be the exception, as many senators still make the visit. Topping the list is Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who has visited Iraq 10 times. That includes three trips in the past year and makes him one of nine senators who have made at least a half-dozen trips to the country since the war started.
Being a decorated former Marine and Pentagon official, Webb doesn't need to visit Iraq to establish his authority to speak about on military or strategic issues.
In another story, The Hill reports that about two dozen of the 55 freshman members have visited Iraq.
As Webb suggested, the violence in Iraq generally makes congressional trips tightly choreographed, with virtually no ability for members of Congress to travel freely around the country.
That's not stopping members of Congress from going, in part to show their support for the troops in the field and try and get information first hand, but also to increase their credibility in the Iraq debate.
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Comments
The trips to Iraq don't matter.
As Jim Webb said, it's just a "dog & pony show".
Posted by: John E | August 1, 2007 3:48 PM
Baghdad is safe, John McCain said so.
Posted by: Doug Zook | August 1, 2007 3:51 PM
I visited the Bears training camp, so now I must be qualified to give Lovie Smith advice, right?
Posted by: DaBears | August 1, 2007 4:12 PM
Why is it that I feel there's a movie here?
I mean you've got Lindsey Graham who has served in the military. Oh by the way, it was as a lawyer. He got to lecture pilots on the law and attacking targets. Wow, a real tough guy there.
Then you've got Jim Webb, a combat tested Vietnam veteran, who served as secretary of the navy.
Just imagine Jack Nichelson's hands around Tom Cruise's neck. "You can't handle the truth."
Posted by: dogjudge | August 1, 2007 4:40 PM
I heard a walk through an Iraqi market was like a walk through a market in Indiana LOL. Lord help us give these incompetent fools the boot.
Posted by: Suleman | August 1, 2007 4:52 PM
Jim Webb has the patience of a saint. Watching Graham try to lecture Webb about combat on Meet the Press was laughable to anyone who knew the histories of these men.
Graham "There I was hunkered down in the base law library. There were incoming writs, torts, briefs ALL with inculpatory and excupatory implications screaming down on my head."
Or something like that...
Posted by: Doug Zook | August 1, 2007 5:10 PM
A dogjudge, or is that John E. What about Duncan Hunter, who also served in the military and who has one son in Iraq and one son in Afghanistan? Or how about Mark Kirk, another veteran?
Oh, how facts get in the way of the maniacal rantings of the Left.
Posted by: John D | August 1, 2007 5:28 PM
Some facts from the "Hill" article that Frank James left out: According to the "Hill", of the 18 senators who have never visited Iraq, 14 are Democrats, 4 are Republicans.
Of the senators who declined to say they'd visited Iraq, 5 are Democrats, 1 Republican.
It's pretty clear who's interested in seeing Iraq first hand, and who isn't.
Posted by: Bruce | August 1, 2007 5:46 PM
Bruce,
Who do you think is paying for all of those visits?
It seems to me it's pretty clear who is in favor of fiscally responsible government and who wants to be able to tell his/her grandchildren that he/she once flew in a combat helicopter.
Posted by: Bud McFarlin | August 1, 2007 6:13 PM
My thoughts on this...anyone can bend Iraq to reflect their feelings on it. It does not matter how many people or who visits Iraq (consider that the architects of this war except for Wolfowitz have spent their time inside Washington, but some how that didn't stop influencing the biggest foreign policy - Iraq - today, or rewriting the foreign policy for the Republican party to be more neo-Reaganite.) As far as the military is concerned you will have different people feel differently reasoning in different ways and coming to different conclusions. All the while all of them being quite legitimate especially since they have sheltered the biggest burden than anyone else there thanks to this administrations poor planing; centered on the LACK of nation building only to force the military to HAVE to take on that responsibility bc the environment is related to the security issues in Iraq. They resent this, but obviously are real trooper to put up with the poor conceptualization of this war; obviously liberating a country will create anarchy which isn't exact freedom so therefore you will inevitable be sucked in the position of nation building. Yet hey it was all about poor foresight, naive attitude, and willingness to experiment with a new concept - narrow military operation - and everything would take of itself. As far as broad sweeping opinion (which largely depends on what the question is) most regret that they had to weather the burden while Washington went about trying to present Iraq to the publics likening than caring about what was happing on the ground digging us deeper into this mess.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 1, 2007 6:35 PM
"NO VACATION FOR THE SENATE"
I think a call to all Senators not to take a vacation is the right thing to do. Call and ask them all to take a trip to Iraq, get a first hand look at what our soldiers are eating and who they really are fighting for.
Have them take a look of what Iraq would look like without about 100,000 contractors gone also.
Call them to task to visit LA, MS, Ok, KS residence who have lost everything due to hurricanes and "POOR CORP OF ENGINEERING IN OUR WATERWAYS ACROSS THE COUNTRY"
TAKE THIS RECESS AND MAKE DEMAND LIKE IN THE TERRY SCHIAVO SGT OF ARMS CALL TO THE SENATE FLOOR AND DEBATE THE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM AND WHY AMERICANS ARE BEING EAVES DROPPED ON WITHOUT FISA, SUPREME COURT, OR JUDGE APPROVAL, BEFORE OR AFTERWARDS.
MAKE THE CALL. HECK SEND BRUCE LET HIM GIVE US HIS TRUE ASSESTATION OF LIFE IN IRAQ. MAYBE JOHN MCCAIN WILL STROLL WITH HIM DOWN THE STREETS OF BAGHDAD AND THEY CAN GET A BURGER TOGETHER, OR A CLEAR GLASS OF WATER. MAYBE EVEN SOME CHOCOLATE. OOOOOWEEEEE MAYBE.
18 MORE MONTHS OF DICTATORSHIP WE HOPE HUH EVERYBODY, HUH!
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 1, 2007 6:48 PM
Some other cherry-picked facts from "The Hill" article that Frank James and Bruce forgot to mention:
Of all the House Freshman that have toured Iraq, 18 were Democrats and only 6 were Republics.
The most senator visits were from Democrat Jack Reed with 10.
Posted by: Bubba | August 1, 2007 6:52 PM
Our congressman only goes where there are beaches, resorts and golf courses.
Posted by: Sheffield | August 1, 2007 7:02 PM
Ahhhh Bruce,
I noticed the above comments by Bed McFarlin took the old liberal talking point of a "fiscally responsible government"....
Well..Ol'Bud,we're in a war now,like it or not...we need your help...get off welfare and help us tax payers fund this fight for our freedom!
The U.S. would have trillions in the bank if it wasn't for you and your types(libs) sucking our wallets dry.
Get a life (JOB) and learn to LOVE AMERICA!!!
LOSER!
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | August 1, 2007 7:27 PM
JohnE...Did you see the dog and pony show in person???
Being in Iraq,fighting terrorism, since Jan.15,2007,with your son in Al Anbar Province(and Dale Peters son)...
How much were the tickets for the dog and pony show JohnE...????
Oh,That's right,Jim Webb has never been to IRAQ!...AND NEITHER HAVE YOU
PHONEY!!!
Get more meds,then get a job!
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | August 1, 2007 7:50 PM
Remember, some officer has to be tied up baby sitting every visiting Congressman. These visits have no value to anyone except the Congressman who gets to say he has been there. He is just a nuisance to everyone and get no real information that he could not get from an E mail. Walking around in the Green Zone does not make anyone better informed. Getting the program from an ofricer there is no different than getting the program from an officer here. What a waste. Keep them home.
Posted by: c. perry | August 1, 2007 9:06 PM
Posted by: Anonymous | August 1, 2007 6:35 PM My post. Apologize for the typos.
Posted by: AR | August 1, 2007 9:18 PM
Posted by Paulo August 1, 2007 7:50 PM
Paolo,
Every time you post I see a "dog and pony show".
Thanks for asking, waterboy.
Posted by: John E | August 2, 2007 12:11 AM
Posted by Paulo August 1, 2007 7:50 PM
Paolo,
Every time you post I see a "dog and pony show".
Thanks for asking, waterboy.
Posted by: John E | August 2, 2007 12:11 AM
Maybe some of these junketing Congressmen can take a trip to far-away places like Minnesota and see what is really needed for a coordinated plan on infrastructure in this nation. Oh, I forgot.
No exotic Carribbean or Malaysian resorts there. Instead, they just continue with the political-plum earmarks on transportation funds. Man, time to impeach the entire Congress.
Posted by: Smidgen | August 2, 2007 10:00 AM
[quote]
The U.S. would have trillions in the bank if it wasn't for you and your types(libs) sucking our wallets dry.
Get a life (JOB) and learn to LOVE AMERICA!!!
LOSER!
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | August 1, 2007 7:27 PM
[/quote]
The US would have trillions in the bank if Bush, Cheney & the neocon war supporters weren't spending money like drunken sailors on weekend shore leave.
How much did the budget go up in the 6 years Republicans controlled Congress underneath Dubya - 35% or 40%, in just 6 years? How much has the National Debt increased during the same time frame under these Republicans - 3 trillion dollars?
Posted by: BC | August 2, 2007 3:02 PM