Pennsylvania House Race Measures Voter Weariness With Iraq War

[Ron Burgundy]

Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Democrat Patrick Murphy is the onlyIraq War veteran in Congress, so when he argues for a swiftwithdrawal of U.S. troops, people tend to listen.

In Murphy's district in southeastern Pennsylvania, he'snow hearing a dissenting voice. Republican Tom Manion, a formerMarine whose only son was killed in Iraq, is challenging Murphyfor his seat. Manion's message: Don't pull American forces outbefore the war is won.

The contest between Murphy, 34, and Manion, 20 years hissenior, is a barometer of the emotional debate over Iraq -- thecostliest and deadliest crisis awaiting the next U.S. presidentand Congress. Even as a weakening economy dominates voters'concerns, the $600 billion war is still fueling passionatedebate and swaying people's votes up and down the ballot.

Like Manion, Republican presidential candidate JohnMcCain, 71, has staked his candidacy on staying in Iraq as longas it takes, despite many polls showing two-thirds of Americansthink the war was a mistake. Democratic hopeful Barack Obama,47, made his name as an early opponent of the war and has stoodby his vow to withdraw troops in 16 months, even as militaryexperts insist that increased troop levels have improved thesituation. Polls show a majority of Americans think the troopsurge is succeeding, even if they oppose the war.

`Poster Child'

The conflict ``remains the poster child for discontentwith Bush, but the public wants it both ways,'' says AndyKohut, director of the Pew Research Center in Washington.``They want to be out of Iraq, yet polls suggest people areaware or sensitive to the costs of getting out in the wrongway.''

That paradox is why discontent over the war may yet playout in unexpected ways in November. An Aug. 19 Bloomberg/LosAngeles Times poll found voters only narrowly prefer IllinoisSenator Obama's solution for Iraq over Arizona SenatorMcCain's, 47 percent to 42 percent. More Americans -- by amargin of 12 points -- trust McCain to ``deal wisely with aninternational crisis,'' the poll shows.

That said, the news last week that the U.S. and Iraq areclose to a final agreement on the eventual withdrawal ofAmerican combat forces complicates matters for McCain, who hassaid he'd stay in Iraq 100 years if need be. McCain may havetrouble persuading Americans to spend $10 billion a month onthe war while the domestic economy is battered by a mortgagecrisis and soaring energy costs.

Republican Stronghold

Suburban Philadelphia, an erstwhile Republican strongholdwhere Democrats have dramatically expanded their rolls sincethe last election, is a good bellwether of Americans'conflicting emotions over the war.

Two years ago, Murphy eked out a 50.3 percent win in adistrict that covers northeast Philadelphia and an expanse ofsuburbs and farms. Now Democrats outnumber Republicans in thelargest part of the district, Bucks County, because ofdissatisfaction with President George W. Bush, the economy andthe war. Murphy is favored to hold his seat, say the Cook andRothenberg political reports.

Murphy was an Army captain in Baghdad in 2003 and 2004,when violence escalated after Saddam Hussein's regime wastoppled. In his first congressional term, he has championedveterans' issues and co-sponsored with Obama failed legislationto bring the troops home.

``As someone who served in Baghdad with the 82nd Airborne,I can tell you that what's needed in Iraq is a surge indiplomacy, not an escalation of force,'' he said at the time.Murphy's aides declined repeated requests to interview him.

Sniper Fire

Manion, who retired from the Marines as a colonel andworks as an executive at New Brunswick, New Jersey-basedJohnson & Johnson, never served overseas and says he wasn'tinterested in politics before losing his 26-year-old son tosniper fire in Iraq's Al Anbar province last year.

``He called me from Iraq and said the surge is what weneed,'' Manion says of Travis, a Marine lieutenant. Manion sayspolicy makers should take their cues from troops on the groundlike his son, not from a war-weary public or pollsters.

``The last thing we need is more sons and daughters goingback in five years because we didn't do it right,'' Manionsays.

Last week, Manion was shaking hands at the MiddletownGrange fair, a summertime gathering where neighbors show offfarm animals and enjoy cotton candy and carnival rides.

Crucial Step

``I was against going in there in the first place, but wewent and made a mess, and I feel pulling out now would leave avacuum,'' said homemaker Deborah Rodrigo, 51, a Democrat whosaid she is leaning toward McCain.

Kathryn DeGuire, 75, a retired psychologist, said shesupports Murphy and Obama because ending the war is the crucialstep to restoring U.S. credibility overseas.

Others said changing events have left them confused.

John Frekot Sr., 75, a veteran of the Korean War, said hevoted for Bush in 2000 and Democratic Senator John Kerry ofMassachusetts in 2004.

``If Iraqi troops can take over in 12-to-18 months, I seeno reason they shouldn't,'' he said. ``But right now, I amright down the middle on which candidates will do the best.''

To contact the reporter on this story:Indira A.R. Lakshmanan in Pennsylvania at ilakshmanan@bloomberg.net

source: Bloomberg - http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080826/pl_bloomberg/a9cmrhalews8 [link]