NM-03: Wiviott on Iraq - New Ad, New Questions

All of our Congressional races are obviously heating up, as you can surmise from my posts today about candidate ads. We're now less than two month's away from the June 3rd primary and early voting starts in May. Don Wiviott was the first Congressional candidate up with TV ads in late February. Now he has a new one focused on the Iraq occupation that accompanies his demand that tough questions be asked about military progress in Iraq and how we can bring our troops home. In the ad Wiviott says he'd make getting the troops out of Iraq his top priority. One way to achieve it would be to put a squeeze on funding. And no more privatized armies allowed.

In a campaign release, Wiviott said, “Congress needs to ask Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus tough questions about the situation in Iraq and urge them to enact a major overhaul to our current open-ended strategy. Now it’s time to listen to the will of the American people and find a sensible end to the War that gets our troop’s out of harm’s way and allows the Iraqi people to reclaim their destiny.”

Don continued, “As I travel across Northern New Mexico, I continue to talk to citizens about their concerns and ask their input on how best to end the war. We need to heed the advice of the American people and make sure their voices are heard at the highest levels of government.”

Last week, Wiviott asked supporters to submit questions through his website that they would like to see Congress ask General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. Below are five tough questions from Wiviott and concerned New Mexicans:

Has the War in Iraq actually made America safer?

What plans are in place to both get our troops out of Iraq and give the Iraqi army a chance to step up to the plate and protect their own country?

Since there is no military solution in Iraq, what steps are we taking to ensure Iraqi officials are working together and moving towards lasting political reconciliation?

The President and other top officials talk about winning the war. What criteria constitutes "winning" the war in Iraq? How will we know when we have "won"? 

How will you prepare to transition the US presence in Iraq to another administration?  Specifically, how will you prepare to pass the operation and embassy to an administration that plans to withdraw substantially from the current mission in Iraq?  How have you prepared the Iraqi government and people for this very real possibility?

The first three questions were submitted by Wiviott and the last two questions were submitted by supporters through his website.

In Congress, Wiviott has pledged to work with America’s military leaders and fight for legislation that keeps our troops safe and restores America’s strength on the international stage. Wiviott will work across the aisle to find a solution to our failed strategy in Iraq that is costing lives and untold billions.

National Attention
PS: Wiviott's ad and questions for General Petaeus and Ambassador Crocker are gaining some national attention. Matt Stoller over at Open Left says of Wiviott's Iraq ad, "This is a very smart way to use the national media environment to a candidate's advantage," and cites Wiviott's "using his platform as a candidate to put out an ad on Iraq in response to Petraeus's testimony."

To see our previous coverage of the 2008 Congressional race in NM-03, visit our archive.