Iraq
By Eric Ostermeier on June 23, 2011
U.S. troop fatalities in Iraq are on pace for a 16 percent increase from 2010; American deaths in Afghanistan over the last three months are up 7 percent from the same period in 2010.
By Eric Ostermeier on October 8, 2009
Minnesota has 5th highest number of fatalities in the nation in 2009
By Eric Ostermeier on June 14, 2009
As President Barack Obama approaches the 5-month mark of his administration, his political supporters, especially those on the liberal end of the ideological spectrum, are faced with reconciling the President's campaign promises on the military, national security, and the country's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the policies he has...
By Eric Ostermeier on January 21, 2009
Now that Barack Obama has been inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States, the question on the minds of many Minnesotans is: "How long do we wait for 'change?'" Obama's campaign for 'change' during the presidential primaries and general election took many forms, from the vague and intangible...
By Eric Ostermeier on September 3, 2008
8:20 a.m. "The Greater Middle East" kicks off Day 3 at the Humphrey Institute's series of forums entitled America's Future: Conversations about Politics and Policy during the 2008 Republican National Convention. The discussion is moderated by Richard N. Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations. The panelists are: *...
By Eric Ostermeier on December 28, 2007
A new Bloomberg / LA Times poll of likely caucus voters in Iowa demonstrates quite clearly how the view of the country is affected by one's political lens. While the outlook on the GOP side is not exceedingly optimistic, it seems so when paired against the glum worldview held by...
By Eric Ostermeier on September 21, 2007
In an amendment passed 72-25 by the Senate on Thursday, all but two Upper Midwestern Senators voted to condemn recent attacks launched against General David Petraeus, the Commanding U.S. General in Iraq, and head of its multi-national force. The amendment was provoked by the infamous MoveOn.org print advertisement questioning Petraeus'...
By Eric Ostermeier on September 14, 2007
Republicans Norm Coleman of Minnesota and Charles Grassley of Iowa—were the first to comment on President George W. Bush's nationally televised address on Iraq. Many pundits had speculated that one of the key audiences for Bush's speech were Republican lawmakers, especially those (like Coleman), who have been critical of...
By Eric Ostermeier on July 23, 2007
Wisconsin Democratic junior Senator Russ Feingold called for the censure of President George W. Bush on Sunday. Feingold issued a press release stating he will introduce two censure resolutions condemning not only President Bush, but also Vice President Dick Cheney and other administration officials for "misconduct relating to the...
By Eric Ostermeier on July 18, 2007
In one of many votes held during a late night session on Capitol Hill Tuesday night, the U.S. Senate overwhelming passed an amendment expressing: The sense of the Senate that it is in the national security interest of the United States that Iraq not become a failed state and a...
By Eric Ostermeier on July 13, 2007
On Thursday the U.S. House voted 223-201 to require the Secretary of Defense to commence the reduction of the number of United States Armed Forces in Iraq to a limited presence by April 1, 2008. The Upper Midwestern delegation voted strictly along party lines: Democratic Representatives Oberstar, Walz, Peterson,...
By Eric Ostermeier on July 12, 2007
Minnesota Republican Senator Norm Coleman's position on Iraq policy could be crucial not only to the fate of Democratic-sponsored proposals in the Senate to set a firm timeline for troop withdrawal, but also in determining how much of a favorite he is to win reelection in 2008. Coleman has...
By Eric Ostermeier on May 11, 2007
Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad (MN-03) joined 10 of his fellow GOP Congressmen in a meeting at the White House earlier this week to discuss the war in Iraq with President Bush along with members of his cabinet (Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice) and...
By Eric Ostermeier on March 24, 2007
On Friday the U.S. House voted 218-212 for an emergency supplemental appropriations bill funding the Iraq war, adding in various provisions including a timetable for withdrawal from the country to begin by March 2008 and be completed by the end of August of that year. The 22 legislators from the...
By Eric Ostermeier on March 17, 2007
On Thursday the U.S. Senate rejected a Democratic-led joint resolution calling for phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq within 4 months and a goal of complete redeployment by the end of March 2008. The 50-48 vote included one Republican (Gordon Smith of Oregon) joining the Democrats, and three...
By Eric Ostermeier on February 20, 2007
Lost in the headlines of the Democratic Senate's failed attempt last weekend to bust a GOP filibuster to force a floor debate and resolution vote on President George W. Bush's surge in American forces in Iraq is that one member of the Democratic caucus allied himself with the Republican...
By Eric Ostermeier on February 18, 2007
On Friday the U.S. House vote 246-182 for a resolution disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007 to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq. The non-binding measure had near unanimous support from within the Democratic Party, with 229 of 231...
By Eric Ostermeier on February 16, 2007
Yesterday the Democratic-lead Iowa State Senate adopted a Resolution opposing the commitment of additional American troops to the war in Iraq. The resolution was sponsored by 28 of the 30 Democratic senators in the chamber and states: "That the Iowa Senate urges that members of the United States Congress and...
By Eric Ostermeier on February 14, 2007
On Tuesday afternoon rookie Minnesota Congressman Tim Walz (MN-01) was interviewed by Chris Matthews on MSNBC's political show Hardball. Earlier in the day Walz had spoken multiple times on the floor of the U.S. House supporting a Democrat-backed resolution criticizing President George W. Bush's decision to add more troops...
By Eric Ostermeier on February 12, 2007
In a rare intervention into internal U.S. politics, Australian Prime Minister John Howard criticized 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's Iraq strategy to withdraw U.S. troops by March 2008. Howard told reporters if he was a terrorist he would "circle March 2008 on the calendar" and hope for Obama...
