You'll recall that a number of key Republican Senators, including Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), have been defending the Iraqi proposal to give amnesty to insurgents, including those who have attacked, injured or killed American troops in Iraq.
Well, today on ABC's "This Week," McConnell changed his mind.
STEPHANOPOULOS: We spoke to Iraqis in the parliament this morning and they're saying it's still being debated... giving amnesty to people who may have killed Americans. And I just want to know is that acceptable to you?Interesting, since a few days ago McConnell suggested we praise the Iraqi government for that very same amnesty proposal.
MCCONNELL: No, I don't think granting amnesty to people who killed Americans is acceptable...
MCCONNELL: ...might it not just be as useful an exercise to be trying to pass a resolution commending the Iraqi government for the position that they've taken today with regard to this discussion of Amnesty?Other top GOP Senators joined McConnell at the time in defending the Iraqi amnesty proposal.
It would appear that the Republicans are not at all comfortable with their previously stated position in support of amnesty for insurgents who kill US troops. And in fact, the Republicans were already split earlier in the week - 19 GOP Senators voted in favor of amnesty this week, while the rest voted against.
And now that the Iraqi government has made clear that such amnesty is coming - even though last week the Republicans and the White House repeatedly told the American people that no such amnesty package was being considered - the GOP is going to have to deal with the fact that nearly half of their members in the Senate supported killers of American troops over the troops themselves.
