Following criticism, Pingree releases ad on Iraq

UPDATE: Pingree released a second ad Thursday.

First Congressional District candidate Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, released an advertisement Tuesday centered on her opposition to the war in Iraq – both in 2002 when she ran for Senate and now.

“It was uncommon, Chellie Pingree had the courage to oppose the war in Iraq from the beginning, even when other Democrats supported George Bush,” the ad begins.

In the ad, she argues that money in Iraq would be better spent on health care, job creation and education.

This comes after two of her opponents, Democrats Adam Cote and Ethan Strimling, criticized her for being inconsistent in her position on funding the war. Saturday, Major General Paul Eaton wrote a letter to the editor to the Portland Press Herald, disassociating himself from the Pingree campaign and endorsing Cote, an Iraq veteran, instead.

Eaton wrote: “At the heart of the plan I helped write is a rejection of the idea that we can or should consider cutting off funding or could safely bring our troops home "immediately." When Ms. Pingree endorsed the plan, I assumed she supported that premise. Yet, as I write this, her Web site says, "We must end the war now. Congress must stop funding the war and rescind its authorization if the administration refuses to make plans for immediate withdrawal."

Cote and Strimling fired off press releases following Eaton’s letter.

Tom Janenda, Cote’s campaign manager writes: “To be very clear, the Cote Campaign respects the work Major General Eaton, Brigadier General Johns, Darcy Burner and others did in developing ‘A Responsible Plan To End The War In Iraq.’ The plan is very much in line with Adam's approach based on his service in Iraq and Bosnia. Like General Eaton, our difference with Chellie Pingree is based on her campaign having multiple positions on an issue so critical to the lives of those serving and our economy here at home.“

Willy Ritch, communications director for Pingree, said the Responsible Plan has caused some confusion. On Page 12 of the plan it says: “Troop draw-downs should begin immediately and continue until no more troops remain in Iraq.”

“Chellie's position has been consistent from the beginning – she was against the war since 2002 and throughout this campaign has said she would vote to defund the war,” Ritch said in an e-mail. “She believes that oversight is one of the most important duties of Congress. Just saying you’re against the war or calling for the war to end isn't enough--as we've seen over the last two years. Chellie has never been afraid to stand up and she will take action.”