Ryan Carter
As he awaited the president's televised address to the nation, Rep.
David Dreier (R-La Crescenta) spent his Monday in Washington, D.C.,
tweaking speeches and preparing for media interviews to discuss a war
that now is all but a certainty.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale)spent the day in his district,
waiting, like Dreier, to see Bush's speech. But even meetings with
local constituents came back to the topic of war.
Both congressman, whose districts encompass the area from Burbank
to La Canada Flintridge, expressed a mixture of support and concern
over the looming conflict.
"The prospect of war is not something you feel good about, but I
know we are doing the right thing," Dreier said, stressing that "this
is not unilateral action."
For Dreier, a line was drawn Sept. 11. After that, a half-century-old doctrine of containment, the foreign policy strategy
pursued by the United States after World War II to deal with Soviet
expansion, ended, he said.
"It changed the world dramatically," Dreier said, adding that even
with the threat of a powerful military force hanging over an enemy's
head, it's a world where a chemical weapon can be delivered by mail.
That's why military action is justified, he said. The diplomatic
card has been played by the Bush administration, without results.
Dreier was cautiously optimistic about the aftermath of a conflict,
adding that even tension with traditional allies such as France can
be overcome.
"It's not new, but it's unfortunate," he said.
Schiff spent Monday in his district, meeting with constituents.
But the thought of war was not far away. By mid-afternoon, he was
intent on listening to the president's speech.
"I am concerned with the repercussions of entry into this war
without the support of many of our allies," Schiff said. "I'm also
concerned about the rift created with the United Nations, and our
ability to work with the world community in the event of
post-conflict reconstruction of Iraq."
Schiff said he's received a variety of responses from his
constituents, from hawks to doves.
"But I do hear very widespread concern over the lack of support
around the world," he said.
