04/12/2007

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Traverse Area Peace and Justice Community members, from left, David Warren, Marian Kromkowski and Peggy Fry, were among those who met with U.S. Rep. Dave Camp in his Traverse City office on Tuesday.

Peace group, politician discuss situation in Iraq

Camp's view on the war is shifting

By PATRICK SULLIVAN

psullivan@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Peace activist Tom Shea showed U.S. Rep. Dave Camp a picture of his 10th grandchild and implored the congressman to do something about the Iraq war and what it's doing to the national debt.

The Midland Republican took notes and smiled politely as he heard from several members of the Traverse Area Peace and Justice Community at his northern Michigan office Tuesday. Each spoke of a different aspect of their opposition to the war.

"When he's older he's going to ask, 'Why didn't you do something about our national debt?'” Shea told Camp. Estimates put the cost of the four-year-old war at over $415 billion. "We don't need to look any further than Michigan to see what happens when there's not enough money.”

Camp, once a staunch war supporter, may not have agreed with most of what the activists said, but his position has shifted on the war's future. He said he wants to give the plan to escalate troop numbers in Iraq a chance to work, but if it doesn't in a year or so, he would reconsider the war.

"My thinking has evolved to where I have said that this is our last chance,” Camp told the group, which included 10 activists and four members of the media.

Marion Kromkowski said she hoped Camp understood how "serious and heartfelt” many people's opposition to the war is and how dire the situation in Iraq has become.

"Unless you're John McCain with a battalion at your back, you can't go to the market without taking your life into your hands,” Kromkowski said, referring to the Republican presidential candidate's recent, heavily armed tour of central Baghdad.

Camp didn't offer much detail on his position and avoided direct answers to many questions. Activist David Warren asked Camp: "Do you think the war is a legitimate war, given what we know now?”

Camp responded: "We're there and now the issue is how do we address this issue now.”

Camp said he doesn't believe Congress can set conditions for withdrawal because the Constitution puts the president in charge of the military. That's why he won't support adding conditions to war funding, he said.

That answer doesn't soothe the activists, who want an immediate end to war funding.

Several noted how a majority of Americans now support troop withdrawal.

"You guys are really not listening to the people,” Jim Coats told Camp.

Camp responded: "I'm hired to try to reflect the views of the people I represent, but I'm also hired for my judgment.”

Camp said he regularly meets with groups opposed to the war, particularly in Midland.

"He's always been very friendly, he's always been very willing to listen,” said Joan Brausch, of Midland Citizens for Peace. Brausch said she's noted the shift in Camp's thinking about the war at a recent meeting: "His attitude and the way he said things, he was no longer so sure that we should be there.”