More on “The Pledge”

Earlier today, Paul expressed his reservations about “the Pledge” that our friend Hugh Hewitt and others are promoting–that is, a pledge by Republican activists not to support any Republican who votes for any resolution expressing disagreement with the administration’s current Iraq strategy.
Scott and I, too, have doubts about this approach. I certainly would not vote for Chuck Hagel or anyone else, Republican or Democrat, who voted for the defeatist Democratic resolution that passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday. But how about the milder Warner resolution, for which pro-war Senators like our own Norm Coleman have expressed sympathy? Were I a Senator, I wouldn’t vote for the Warner resolution or anything similar, but, as a party activist, should I withhold support from a Republican who, out of sincere conviction, votes for such a resolution?
It’s a hard question. Hugh had Scott and me on his show last night to talk about it; this is what we had to say:


Speaking for myself, I would much rather that Senator Coleman and other Republicans sign on to no resolutions dissenting from the administration’s strategy in Iraq. Should, however, Senator Coleman do so out of genuine conviction, will I sit out the race, as though indifferent to the prospect that Norm may be succeeded in the Senate by Al Franken? I don’t think so.
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