Patricia Madrid has a problem. According to a recent Albuquerque Journal poll her personal position on Iraq is only held by 15% of New Mexicans (subscription):
Yet there is also significant support for keeping a military force in Iraq until the Iraqi police and military can defend the country. Forty-seven percent favored that, compared with 15 percent who wanted immediate withdrawal and 35 percent who wanted a strict timetable for a pullout.
Only 15% of New Mexicans favor immediate withdrawal, yet in January of this year Patricia Madrid’s campaign website advocated:
Responsible Action in Iraq. We must investigate the intelligence that led to the war in Iraq and press the Administration for straight, honest answers on the current state of our operations in Iraq. We must also establish a definite, clear timeline for troop withdrawal that begins bringing our men and women serving in Iraq home by December 2006.
That’s right, Madrid would have had us withdrawing troops within 90 days – something that only 15% of New Mexicans agree is the right course of action. As a sidenote, this statement makes a liar out of the Madrid camp “independent” blogger who in “analyzing” the debate between the candidates, the one he didn’t even attend, wrote:
Heather also jumped the line, saying Madrid favors an “immediate” withdrawal of troops in Iraq, even though Madrid has never advocated that.
Gee whiz Mr. Monahan, 90 days from now sure seems immediate to me. But hey, what do I know I don’t have your years of “unbiased” political reporting.
It’s also worth noting the Madrid’s website has since flip-flopped on their position:
We must investigate the intelligence that led to the war in Iraq and press the Administration for straight, honest answers on the current state of our operations in Iraq. We must establish a definite timeline for troop withdrawal with clear benchmarks of progress.
A tacit acknowledgment that Madrid’s radical views of immediate withdrawal are out of touch with the views shown in the polls. Heck, Madrid’s views on the War in Iraq are out of touch with just about everyone in Congress, Democrat and Republican alike. Consider this from Patricia Madrid’s campaign spokeswoman:
Wilson, chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, in the fall voted against a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops. The measure failed 403-3.
It’s difficult to know whether Madrid would have voted for the same measure, Brewer [Patricia Madrid’s campaign spokeswoman] said.
Think about the significance of this Madrid campaign statement made to Albuquerque Tribune reporter Kate Nash in August of this year. Less than 60 days ago, they were still on the record considering a resolution for immediate withdrawal of our troops as a position with potential. A position that 403 members of Congress rejected nine months earlier. A position that is only held by 15% of the public. A position that now Madrid needs to pretend didn’t even exist.
The prospect of sending this woman to Congress is scary.