Reply #42: John J. Duncan, Jr. - a Republican with some sense [View All]

[Clark2008]

More than four years ago, U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. shocked many in his majority-Republican district with his stay-out-of-Iraq vote, but lately he has found more like-minded East Tennesseans and less anger.

"I still have people mad at me over it, but percentage-wise it's very, very small," Duncan, a Republican, said Thursday in an interview. "The comment that I get the most now is that people ... understand why I did what I did."

In October 2002, he was the only Tennessee member voting against giving President Bush the authority to send troops into Iraq.

Now that the House is nearing the end of a week of debate about whether it's a mistake for Bush to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, East Tennessee's four House members are evenly divided about it.

The full House is expected late tonight to approve a nonbinding resolution that "disapproves" of Bush's decision.

Duncan and Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Pall Mall, said they will vote for the resolution; Reps. David Davis, R-Johnson City, and Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga, said they will vote against it.

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/article/0,1406,KNS_348_5355471,00.html (registration required)

My biggest beef with Duncan is his anti-choice stance, but, for the most part, he's a conservative of the old-school days: he disbelieves in governmental intrusions on our lives and likes a balanced budget.

P.S. I don't claim Lamar Alexander or Bob Corker since neither on represents me on about 99 percent of the issues. At least Duncan knows a swindle when he sees one and refuses to accept the party line when he knows his constituents wouldn't like it.