A couple of anti-war Republican congressmen, including N.C.’s Walter Jones, are having a bit of trouble for flirting with Democratic cut-and-runners in the past year:
Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), an opponent of the war in Iraq, is in a statistical tie with primary challenger Joe McLaughlin, according to a poll released Tuesday by McLaughlin’s campaign.
The poll, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, shows Jones leading McLaughlin 43-41, with 5 percent supporting another candidate and 11 percent undecided.
Forty-eight percent of voters said it was time for someone new in the congressional seat, while 46 percent said Jones deserves reelection.
One GOP dove has already bitten the dust:
A longtime GOP congressman who initially voted for the Iraq war but later accused the Bush administration of bungling it was defeated by a state senator, joining a Democratic House member in becoming the first incumbents to fall this primary season.
Republican Rep. Wayne Gilchrest was seeking his 10th term representing Maryland’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the state’s Eastern Shore and parts of the Baltimore suburbs. He lost Tuesday to state Sen. Andy Harris in a five-way race.
You just know these GOP line-crossers saw what was coming when the John McCain campaign began to take off. There is no stronger pro-military, pro-Iraq war candidate out there in public life, and yet he’s become the GOP front-runner.
Both of these guys initially supported the war but got skittish during the rough period. Sometimes it’s hard to see which way the wind is blowing. That’s why consistency on principles usually serves a candidate well.
