Boise News

Senate candidate wants funding tied to planned withdrawal

LaRocco Wants Schedule for U.S. to Leave Iraq

By Jill Kuraitis, 10-25-07

Idaho’s Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, Larry LaRocco, wants a strategic withdrawal of troops from Iraq that should begin “immediately.”

“The vast majority of troops should be pulled out of the country or re-deployed to support and train Iraqis within 12-14 months,” he said.

“The Congress should insist that the upcoming funding request from the Bush Administration reflects this timetable and drawdown of troops in Iraq.”

Monday, President Bush submitted a request to Congress for $46 billion more for war funding.  In an interview with NewWest,.Net/Boise, LaRocco said, “But people really want us out, and they want the president to recognize it,” said LaRocco.  “It’s the most frequent comment I hear when I’m campaigning.”

However, LaRocco said that Congress is the only body which can stop the flow of money, and that it will take budget decisions – “something Bush understands” - to influence “a Commander in Chief who can’t come to grips with a failed policy.”

LaRocco wants funding levels to correspond to a timetable for withdrawing troops.

“This is not about the troops, it’s about strategy. Bush missed the boat on changing policy when he rejected the Iraq Study Group’s recommendations – he could have united the nation around that,” said LaRocco.

The cost of the war is staggering, he said, “and we keep adding billions more here and there without a grand strategy. Bush’s latest request is for supplemental, piecemeal funding just to conduct – and escalate – the war, when it should be winding down. The Bush Administration will cost the American people more than a trillion dollars – a trillion – it’s an almost unimaginable amount of money spent on a failed policy,” he said.

The unprecedented spending, LaRocco said, “has left us weaker. Our commanders are upset about it, I recognize it as a veteran. We need funds to totally refurbish our military – trucks, tanks, materiel – and funds for health care costs for the wounded and veteran’s benefits for those who have served.”

LaRocco said he’s proud of American troops but wants them home. “We need a strategic decision to bring them back.”

The almost-certain Republican candidate for the Senate seat, Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, declined to respond to LaRocco’s statements.  His son and press director, Jason Risch, said, “We’re not running against Larry LaRocco. Until there is a primary and nominations, we won’t be making any comments.”

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