ME: You were registered independent before you decided to run for Congress against Anne Northup in 2006. Why had you remained Independent up until that point, and what factored in your decision to join the Democrats?

AH: Since enlisting as a Marine in 1979, I was registered as an Independent voter, believing that as a Marine my duty was to my country, my loyalty to the Constitution, and not a particular political party or president. But my political perspective changed after completing my last tour in Iraq.  I saw first hand how the Bush administration's civilian leaders mismanaged the war and misled the American people. I saw our Republican leaders repeatedly ask working people and middle class families to bear the greatest sacrifice, while asking little of the wealthiest and most powerful. For these reasons, I changed my party registration from Independent to the Democratic Party.  As a candidate with my background, the discussion will be about ending the war responsibly and taking on the real challenges facing American families, such as health care, education and economic and retirement security.

ME: Many in the media are claiming that the "surge" strategy is working in Iraq. How accurate do you think such claims are?

AH: To determine if the escalation is "working" we must begin with what the goals were at the time it was initiated and our desired end state for Iraq.   If our end state is political reconciliation leading to stability it has not been a success.  If our end state is more of our troops in harms way protecting Iraqis then it has been a success.   However, few would argue that having more of our troops risking their lives every day to keep their fingers in the proverbial dike is a good thing or a desirable consequence, particularly when it does not appear there is any end in sight.  From these parameters it is clearly not working.  The question is how long do we cling to the hope that the Iraqi leadership will step up and do what needs to be done.  I for one believe the Iraqi leadership will allow us to carry their water for them as long as we are willing.  If we send a clear message that we will leave soon they will step up.  The current Basra situation is an example of what could happen if we leave- much to the chagrin of the Bush administration the British pulled out of Basra and defying all predictions violence dropped by 90%.

ME: What type of reaction do you get from fellow Marines that you served with when they hear how critical you are of President Bush's policies in Iraq?

AH: Marines' attitudes are not monolithic, and they are as diverse as the general population.   However, most of the Marines I speak to are supportive and tell me I am doing the right thing, particularly if they have seen combat in Iraq.  

ME: What do you make of the saber rattling going on amongst the Bush administration when it comes to Iran?   Is this even a viable option at this moment, or is this just for show?

AH: The Iran situation is serious and should not be underestimated.  The administration seems to be eager to increase tensions and the saber rattling is just one example.  The rhetoric could be intended to pressure the Iranians to the table; however, Bush does not always act prudently and he could be considering some form of preemptive action.  From my perspective, there do not seem to be many viable options for the use of force given our current force structure and other commitments, but if history has taught us anything it is not to misjudge the extent of Bush's hubris.

ME: Do you think that McConnell's two filibusters on Sen. Jim Webb's amendments to restore proper troop rotation between tours will hurt his support among the military in KY, particularly Western Kentucky?

AH: Absolutely.  Mitch McConnell prevented voting on the Webb Amendment that would have given our troops more time between tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The people that join our military are patriots who are willing to make enormous sacrifices for our country and our way of life.  Those sacrifices, however, are not being shared by the rest of our society and the same people are asked again and again to shoulder the burden.  This has not been lost on Veterans.  Mitch McConnell will be held accountable.  In this vein, I want to share a note that I read on the "Draft Horne" website:

Dear Mr. Horne,

My husband is currently serving his 2nd fifteen month deployment in Iraq. I am asking you to please run against Mitch McConnell in 2008. I wrote to Mr. McConnell asking him to request more MRAP's for our troops, and received no response. When I wrote him regarding Rush Limbaugh's comments about "phony soldiers", I received a letter defending Rush as a consistent supporter of our troops. This seems very lopsided to me, and I believe that someone like you could make a really big difference in Congress. Please run.

ME: Outside of policies dealing with Iraq and Veterans, what are your major criticisms with Mitch McConnell's performance in the Senate?

AH: I strongly believe Senator Mitch McConnell is taking us down the wrong path.  McConnell has given President Bush, big business and corrupt lobbyists a blank check and rubber stamp for their selfish agenda. He is unwilling to address the healthcare crisis.  He votes against legislation that would control college costs for regular people.  He is blatantly loyal to corporate interests above the interests of working people and the middle class.  However, if I were to have one principal complaint it would be his gross partisanship.  In that last 7 years he has been one of the most strident enablers of the Bush fiasco and since the midterm elections he has been the most vocal, effective and smug obstructionist in the Senate.   By his conduct it is clear that he does not care what is good for Kentucky, the United States or the people; his primary concern is his own survival and the political success of the Republican Party.

ME: Many Democrats around the country are currently upset with their party, particularly for not following through on their promises when they won back Congress last fall. How valid do you think such complaints are, and do you share any of them?

AH: The message from the electorate during the last elections was stunning and the Democrats have not acted on that message.  So I do believe that much of the criticism is fair; however, the Republican's have sufficient votes in the Senate to filibuster and Bush can still veto so the Democrats do not have an unfettered ability to enact legislation completely of their choosing.  The Democrats could have forced the issue in regard to funding of Iraq by not sending up alternative legislation absent affirmative statements by McConnell and Bush that there would be some compromise.

ME: During the nomination process of AG Mukasey, there was much discussion of what defines torture and what defines "enhanced interrogation techniques". How familiar are you with waterboarding, and does this constitute torture?

AH: All politics aside, waterboarding is absolutely torture.  It is prohibited by the Army interrogation manual, which is used by all of the armed forces of the United States.  If Soldiers, Marines, Sailors or Airmen waterboard a prisoner they can and probably will be prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for "Abuse of a Prisoner."  End of discussion.  

Let me say that I do not know if the politicization of words is a new phenomenon but it is new to me.  When I was in Iraq during a command briefing to Ambassador Negroponte we were all amused to learn from the Ambassador that we were not supposed to use the words "insurgent[s]" or "insurgency," apparently the approved words were "terrorist[s]" and "terrorism." [In his defense he seemed as amused as the rest of us.]  When I came home I was surprised and amused when I was questioned about whether the attack into Iraq was an "invasion" or "liberation."  [I wasn't aware there was any real question about that.]  The games being played by Bush, et al would almost make me laugh if they weren't so disturbing.

ME: Many candidates in the Republican Presidential debates have boasted about "doubling Gitmo", channeling "Jack Bauer", and saying the most important civil liberty is "staying alive". What are your thoughts on this kind of talk?

AH: I am unsure how a rational person can comment on those types of attitudes.  Torture and detention centers are not things that anyone should boast about.  We must not forget that moral standards are vital to success in warfare and school yard attitudes about strength and toughness have no place in serious debate.  I wrote an Op Ed for the CJ right before the 2006 midterms entitled "Tough Is Not Enough", which addresses these issues in more detail.  (ME: full transcript here)

ME: So when should we expect a decision on whether you will challenge Mitch McConnell for his Senate seat next year? What are the determining factors?

AH: We must defeat Mitch McConnell.  Kentucky needs a Senator that will represent us, not the highest bidder.  I am awaiting a decision on whether Crit Luallen will run, and making plans in the event she does not.

My thanks again to Lt. Col. Horne for answering these questions. If you'd like to know more about Andrew Horne or sign the petition to draft him into the 2008 Senate race against Mitch McConnell, go to DraftHorne.org.