An Open Letter to Al Franken: Why Did You Support the Iraq War?

Dear Al Franken,

Why did you support the Iraq war at the beginning? Why did you trust Colin Powell on the weapons question and not Hans Blix? And when did you change your mind? And why? And what U.S. policy do you favor now?

I ask you these questions in an open letter because you have declined my request for an interview. I regret that. But one way or the other, given the centrality of the Iraq issue and the muddled state of your past comments, I believe you must answer these questions before you can ask anti-war DFLers to get comfortable with the idea of you as their candidate, or as their senator.

On Almanac last month, Eric Eskola asked you about the evolution of your views on the war:

Franken: I was very torn in the lead-up to the war. I really didn’t believe that an administration would deliberately mislead us into a war. And when that became clear, I became a very vocal critic against it. DFLers have heard me for years and years speak not only against the Bush policy but against what Norm Coleman did and didn’t do.

Eskola: Is there a year when you decided you were against it.

Franken: Yes, 2003.

I’ve reviewed dozens of statements you’ve made about Iraq since 2002. And I will gladly look at more if you believe that those I saw are not representative of your evolving views. But from what I’ve seen, a more accurate version of your answer would have been something like this…

Read the rest at Eric Black Ink