MNGOP's stance on Iran: way out of the mainstream

by: Jeff Rosenberg

Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 17:12:01 PM CDT

St. Paul - Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today released the following statement regarding 3rd District DFL-endorsed candidate Ashwin Madia's position on Iran.

"After the second day in a row of Iran test-firing missiles and boasting that their 'hands are always on the trigger,' we face a stark reminder Iran remains a serious threat to U.S. allies and U.S. interests."

...

Madia: Iran A "Concern" That Can Be Dealt With "Diplomatically." "On Iran I have been very concerned by some bellicose language that the administration is using and some democrats are using to describe Iran. I think that they are a concern but I think we can deal with them diplomatically. When I think we use their language it puts us on a foot that we don't want to be on." (Ashwin Madia, DFL Debate, Brooklyn Park, January 12, 2008)

The GOP, out of touch with the mainstream as usual, was furious with Madia's reasonable approach. They don't want diplomacy; they are only interested in warmongering. Erik Paulsen thinks the best policy is going to war. Ashwin Madia, an Iraq War veteran, has a sensible approach to foreign policy. He will help to find a diplomatic solution, instead of leading us into war.

While Paulsen was busy attacking Ashwin Madia, the Bush administration decided to engage in diplomacy with Iran. CNN reports:

The Bush administration has decided to break with previous policy by sending one of its most senior diplomats to engage Iran's top nuclear official, the White House announced Wednesday.

Ashwin Madia's position is now the consensus on Iraq. He has been right all along. Paulsen, on the other hand, has shown himself to be even farther to the right than Bush. He and the rest of the MNGOP are warmongers who don't deserve to go to Washington.