"GRANDSTANDING" LEGISLATOR LEAVES IRAQ
Lesch makes hasty exit from Iraq
St. Paul lawmaker's brief trip ends after missteps, scolding
State Rep. John Lesch of St. Paul reportedly left Iraq after a lecture from an angry Iraqi official — and just a week after he flew to the Middle East to tour the war zone on his own.
Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a U.S. military spokesman, confirmed Monday that Lesch had left, but offered no further information about where the 33-year-old, two-term DFLer was heading.
Neither Lesch's brother, Jim, nor friends in Minnesota who had been in contact with the lawmaker knew his whereabouts Monday.
But Iraqi and U.S. officials expressed their relief he had left the country the United States invaded in 2003.
"This grandstanding has no place here," Johnson said. "Stay home."
Had something happened to Lesch, he added, untold numbers of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers would have been obliged to endanger themselves to help him.
Mithal Alusi, founder of the Democratic Party of the Iraqi Nation, said he spoke with Lesch shortly after he arrived last week in Baghdad and quickly reprimanded him. Alusi has been a victim of violence since the invasion and has dodged several assassination attempts. His two sons were slain in January 2005.
"Do you know what would happen if the terrorists took you as a hostage? Kalashnikov to your head. You with your passport, crying. And all of the world in danger. Just because of you!" Alusi recounted in an interview with Knight Ridder.
"I told him, 'You are crazy.' I don't like to talk to politicians this way, but he made me very sad."
Alusi asked if Lesch had any hobbies and said Lesch answered that he liked watching movies: "I told him you have watched too many James Bond movies." Source for complete article: Pioneer Press, January 7, 2006
St. Paul lawmaker's brief trip ends after missteps, scolding
State Rep. John Lesch of St. Paul reportedly left Iraq after a lecture from an angry Iraqi official — and just a week after he flew to the Middle East to tour the war zone on his own.
Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a U.S. military spokesman, confirmed Monday that Lesch had left, but offered no further information about where the 33-year-old, two-term DFLer was heading.
Neither Lesch's brother, Jim, nor friends in Minnesota who had been in contact with the lawmaker knew his whereabouts Monday.
But Iraqi and U.S. officials expressed their relief he had left the country the United States invaded in 2003.
"This grandstanding has no place here," Johnson said. "Stay home."
Had something happened to Lesch, he added, untold numbers of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers would have been obliged to endanger themselves to help him.
Mithal Alusi, founder of the Democratic Party of the Iraqi Nation, said he spoke with Lesch shortly after he arrived last week in Baghdad and quickly reprimanded him. Alusi has been a victim of violence since the invasion and has dodged several assassination attempts. His two sons were slain in January 2005.
"Do you know what would happen if the terrorists took you as a hostage? Kalashnikov to your head. You with your passport, crying. And all of the world in danger. Just because of you!" Alusi recounted in an interview with Knight Ridder.
"I told him, 'You are crazy.' I don't like to talk to politicians this way, but he made me very sad."
Alusi asked if Lesch had any hobbies and said Lesch answered that he liked watching movies: "I told him you have watched too many James Bond movies." Source for complete article: Pioneer Press, January 7, 2006
4 Comments:
Is this man sick in the head? What is his problem?
Idiot. I'm sure he will try to spin into everyone's fault but his.
"I'm sure he will try to spin into everyone's fault but his."
Huh? I am sure the spinning will only come from the right.
I think that John knew what he was getting himself into. Now, I cannot say that it wasn't completely insane and the whole thing may not have been thought through/planned as well as it should have been. However, it certainly wouldn't have crossed my mind, and I wouldn't have partaken in the planning of such an excursion.
We can "what if" all day long and it won't change "what is". He was deported and caused some inconvience for some diplomats.
In any case, call it grandstanding if you like. John already explained his motives and to tell you the truth. I just don't understand. Not to mention, no matter how you look at it, no matter what could've happened it would not have been good for his politcal career. Either he would have ended up dead or as it is now people and his constituants questioning is sanity.
I can only say, "Thank God that John is coming home safely".
I too am glad that he's coming home safely for the sake of his Daughter. But, it was nothing more then a stunt in my opinion. Ask him about the Meth dealer that lived in his neighborhood - the one that was just a few yards from his niece and daughters bedroom windows.. He did nothing to help with regard to that situation.
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