Senator Brownback On Fox News Sunday

I'm watching a segment on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace where Wallace is interviewing Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback and Connecticut Democrat Senator Chris Dodd.  Both Senators have presidential ambitions in 2008.  The focus of the segment is the reaction to the Iraq Study Group report. 

I haven't been too exposed to Senator Brownback other than hearing and reading about how some conservative voters are enamored with him.  I must say that, after listening to him discuss Iraq, I am exceedingly disappointed.  He struck me as very sympathetic to the ISG report, particularly the suggestions about solving problems by engaging the other regional powers through diplomacy.  He suggested that the U.S. undertake an intense effort of shuttle diplomacy to convince Iraq's neighbors that bringing about peace in Iraq was in their best interest.  I grew a little nauseous at the number of times Brownback mentioned that the ISG's recommendations were bipartisan.  Brownback's position at times didn't appear to differ much from Dodd's.  At one point, Wallace even told Brownback that the Senator sounded like he was on the verge of abandoning the president on Iraq -- which Brownback quickly denied.  The fact is, Wallace's question confirmed my own impression about Brownback's position on Iraq.

I've never been under the impression that conservative primary voters, to whom Brownback will be trying to appeal, are interested first and foremost with getting American troops out of the line of fire in Iraq.  Conservative voters, at least the ones I talk to, are interested in nothing short of victory.  As a matter of fact, I will be inclined to support a candidate who is committed to absolute victory and who evidences a willingness to actually increase American troop levels in Iraq, particularly to clear and hold Baghdad.

Needless to say, I don't think that Senator Brownback did himself any favors with conservatives concerned about Iraq with his performance on Fox News Sunday.