Mainstream Conservative Republican Senator, Gordon Smith Delivers A Blistering Attack On Iraq War Strategy(alternate version)

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More and more mainstream Republicans are beginning to voice deep reservations about the Bush Iraq War strategy. Another huge defection from the Bush policy in the Iraq War was mainstream conservative Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, who has maintained the Oregon reputation for independence by offering a blistering and heartfelt attack on the present war strategy. In the traditions of other independent thinking statesmen of the past from Oregon such as former Senator Wayne Morse, a Republican turned antiwar Democrat, and Senator Mark Hatfield, a very religious Baptist who had deep moral problems with the continued cycle of death from Vietnam, Smith, a Latter Day Saints Church Elder, has broken from what he called the "good soldier" ranks of supporting the war in Iraq, and now refers to this war as both "absurd" and the contined cycle of American deaths by failure to change direction as morally "criminal". These are strong and heartfelt words from a very religious and decent man, deeply concerned with the continued cycle of failings to secure peace and safety in Iraq that puts American lives in constant danger.

It is important breaks among Republican senators such as Gordon Smith, John Warner and others that are warning President Bush that there has come an end to accepting his failed policies on Iraq. In 2004, Gordon Smith headed the Oregon re-election campaign for George Bush. Today he raises serious moral questions about his war policy that puts the same American soldiers in death's way by putting them patrolling the same dangerous streets in Iraq, only to face danger from the same bombs because the security situation and war strategy has not adjusted or changed. It is important breaks in loyal mainstream Republican senators like Smith and Warner who will likely force a big change in the Iraq War. Something big is likely to break very soon. Too many bad events are jelling together to force a major policy shift much sooner rather than later.