Oklahoma Right-Wing Senator Says Going Into Iraq "Was Probably a Mistake"

Republican Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma is one of the most conservative members of the Senate. Back in 2005 he predicted that Iraq would be well on its way to being a sustainable democracy in two years. Now, at a town hall meeting in Oklahoma he comes out and says that going into Iraq "was probably a mistake." Here is a quote from the article linked to above:

Coburn's comment came at the beginning of remarks at a weekend town hall meeting in Muskogee.

"I will tell you personally that I think it was probably a mistake going to Iraq," said the freshman senator, who made it clear he did not believe the U.S. could withdraw but had to stay.

What was unclear was when exactly Coburn changed his position on the controversial war, what led to that change and why he chose to reveal it at a town hall meeting back in the state as opposed to in front of a wider audience.

Coburn's comment came less than a week after he returned from his second trip to Iraq since entering the Senate.

Of course now he wants us to stay there because supposedly the perils of withdrawal are worse than spending American lives and money in Iraq. Still, the fact that he thinks it was a "mistake" to go into Iraq shows what a problem the Republicans have with this war.