The Times and Democrat - 'It will be difficult'

Second District U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, second from left, talks to people at the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce offices Wednesday afternoon, one of the stops on his annual bus tour of the district. Wilson says a stable society needs to be created in the Middle East to protect Americans at home. CHRISTOPHER HUFF/T&D

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'It will be difficult'

Despite challenges, Wilson urges Americans to remain steadfast in war

By LEE HENDREN, T&D Staff Writer
Thursday, August 24, 2006

Americans need to remain steadfast in their resolve to fight the war on terror, 2nd District U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson said Wednesday on a visit to Orangeburg.

"All of it relates to one thing: protecting American families," the Republican congressman said. "The way to do that is create a stable society in Iraq and the Middle East."

"Is it going to take time? Yes, and it will be difficult," but "I'm very hopeful the American people will look at the big picture," the congressman said.

"Redeployment (of American troops) back to the United States is surrender and appeasement, and will ultimately lead to a larger conflict," Wilson said.

Wilson was halfway through his annual week-long bus tour of the district, which stretches from Blythewood to Daufuskie Island.

He began the day with a stop at the North Town Hall. At midafternoon, he visited dozens of local dignitaries and supporters at the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce's new offices on John C. Calhoun Drive.

From there, he went to Alaglass, a swimming pool manufacturing and sales firm in rural Calhoun County that has experienced phenomenal growth in the past decade.

Alaglass owner Monty Felix and his wife, Juanita, are long-time friends of the congressman.

Nightfall found Wilson at a small, invitation-only fund-raiser at the Orangeburg Country Club. It was his only campaign-related event of the day, and he traveled to it in a separate vehicle in order to keep his campaign expenses separate from his congressional activities, he said.

Wilson has a military background, and his four sons are in the military. One served in Iraq for a year.

The congressman says many of the people he has encountered on the bus tour "are indeed concerned about the war on terrorism."

They express "strong support and equally keen disappointment that they keep reading that many Americans are losing their resolve," he said.

Appeasement was "very popular" prior to World War II and is gaining favor now, he said, citing the defeat of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary.

"That was clearly, to me, a vote of appeasement," Wilson said. "It's really sad that the Democratic Party continues to move to the left."

But it's nothing new, he said. Some Democrats "turned on LBJ when he was president and accused him of killing babies. There were riots against Hubert Humphrey, who was the happy warrior liberal."

Lieberman has announced his intention to run for re-election in November as an independent. Wilson said the party's primary does not "reflect the full view of the people of Connecticut. ... I think he's going to win in November."

Wilson said he is a supporter of President Bush and of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, "because I believe they have the integrity and fortitude to protect the American people."

"I have really been impressed by the steadfastness of the president. He understands that we are fighting a very evil enemy that wants to destroy our civilization and modern civilization in general," Wilson said.

"I really equate him to Ronald Reagan in that President Reagan understood peace through strength. He understood that if we were strong and resisted communism, we could prevail, and President Bush understands that if we show resolve, we will defeat terrorists," he said.

Around the world, even longtime allies are considering reducing their forces in Iraq. The BBC has reported that Britain is looking at withdrawing half of its military forces from Iraq by the middle of next year.

"Countries that feel like they could watch the United States fight solo are finding out that they're going to be involved," Wilson said.

"We're reminded about this almost on a weekly basis," he continued. "We had the example, two weeks ago, of uncovering the plot to blow up jetliners flying to the United States. We've just recognized the one-year anniversary of the attack on the London subways. I just learned today about the unsuccessful attack on the train stations in Germany."

He also noted "the attacks on subways and train stations" in India and "the uncovering of the plot in Canada where the terrorists were planning to behead the prime minister."

"It's on and on," Wilson said.

The Middle East has had a level of violence for thousands of years; just read the Bible, the congressman said.

"And there will always be a level of violence, just as we have a level of lawlessness in the United States, but we live with it. We certainly don't give up," he said. "And I don't want to give up in the Middle East because it would come back as occurred on Sept. 11. Terrorist training camps would be established to attack the United States."

It's not a partisan issue, Wilson said. "Terrorists attack Democrats as well as Republicans."

Wilson said the national media doesn't always focus on the positive news out of Iraq:

* More than a quarter-million Iraqis have been trained to serve in the security forces.

* Despite skepticism, the people voted on and approved a constitution, elected a parliament and established a government.

* Six million children are in school in Iraq -- girls as well as boys -- and more than 2,000 people graduated from medical school this year.

Another issue that citizens have brought up is "concern about gas prices," said Wilson, who supports ethanol production, hydrogen fuel cell research, greater development of nuclear power and "anything to reduce the dependency on (imported) fossil fuels."

Wilson said he acquired the first Ford electric-gas hybrid vehicle in South Carolina two years ago and is "very happy" with it.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Hendren can be reached by e-mail at lhendren@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5552. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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