McConnell loses touch with the 61 percent of Kentuckians who oppose failed Bush policy in Iraq
Mitch McConnell loses touch with the 61 percent of Kentuckians who oppose failed Bush-Cheney policy in Iraq
Senate Minority Leader and Obstructionist-in-Chief McConnell responds to new Americans United for Change ad calling on him to stop blocking change in Iraq by citing support from people of Kentucky for failed Bush-Cheney ‘stay the course' policy which polls show does not exist
Washington D.C. - Americans United for Change challenged Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to today for remarks the Senator made on the April 1 broadcast of Fox News Sunday claiming his support for the failed Bush-Cheney policy in Iraq is not out-of-step with constituents. Senator McConnell was reacting to a new Americans United for Change ad launched in Kentucky last week calling on him stop blocking change in Iraq. Senator McConnell ignored a recent Courier Journal poll showing 61 percent of Kentuckians oppose the Bush-Cheney ‘stay the course' policy of sending 20,000 more U.S. troops into harm's way to police a religious civil war. You may view Senator McConnell's remarks here: http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/mcconnellfoxnewsRHETORIC:
Kentucky's senior senator defended his stance on the war in Iraq after the launch of a liberal group's ad campaign criticizing him.
Interviewed by Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday," U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said his support for President Bush's war policy is not out-of-step with constituents. [Associated Press, 4/2/07]
REALITY:
According to a Courier Journal poll conducted in February 2007, a large majority of Kentuckians disapprove of President Bush's handling of the war and oppose his planned escalation. 60 percent of respondents disapprove of the way Bush is handling the war in Iraq, and 61 percent said they oppose Bush's plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq. 52 percent said they want McConnell to oppose Bush's planned escalation, in the Senate. [Courier Journal, 2/20/07; 3/3/07]
"Either Senator McConnell doesn't read one of the largest papers in his state which pointed out recently that a significant majority of Kentuckians do not, in fact, support the Bush-Cheney ‘stay the course' policy in Iraq -- or he chooses to ignore it as the leading voice of opposition in the Senate to a new direction in Iraq," said Jeremy Funk, spokesman for Americans United for Change. "Either way, Senator McConnell has clearly lost touch with the people of Kentucky. Perhaps losing touch is one of the unfortunate trappings of becoming the head cheerleader for Bush's failed policies and becoming the chief obstructionist to change in Washington."
The new ad ‘Wrong' launched last week is just ‘phase 1' of a broader campaign Americans United for Change is launching against the obstructionist-in-chief Mitch McConnell called ‘McConnell Watch,' which seeks to hold the Senator accountable for Standing in the Way of a forward looking, middle class economic agenda and a responsible redeployment of our troops from Iraq and out of the crosshairs of a civil war. McConnell's use of procedure and other tactics to delay and obstruct key votes and debate on these issues - issues on which the majority of American's agree that change is vital - is inexcusable. Most recently, Senator McConnell voted against key legislation which sets a date certain for the responsible redeployment of troops out of harm's way in Iraq within 120 days of enactment with the goal of having only a limited number of troops remaining in the country by March 31st, 2008. The bill passed by a 51-47 margin in the U.S. Senate and represented the most historic and significant vote on U.S. Iraq policy since the vote to authorize the war in 2002. McConnell will continue to obstruct progress on these and other issues with impunity unless he is held accountable.
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