Leach kicks off Missouri Republicans for Obama
Jim Leach, a former Republican congressman from Iowa, helped launch Missouri Republicans for Obama today in the state Capitol Rotunda.
Leach, who spoke last week at the Democratic National Convention, said foreign policy was the main issue that caused him to cross party lines. He said John McCain would continue the Bush administration’s direction while Barack Obama would end the war in Iraq.
The soft-spoken, white-haired Iowan, who compiled a moderate record during 30 years in Congress, acknowledged that McCain has more experience in foreign policy. But Leach said Obama has “a great deal of judgment” and “a rather extraordinary foreign policy team.”
McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, would represent a change in Washington, Leach said, but it is “personality change…they don’t represent policy change.”
Leach, 65, of Iowa City, said he was speaking out to show that Obama “wants a bipartisan leadership effort once he takes office.”
Leach was joined by Matthew Ousley of Jefferson City. Ousley, a retail store manager, said he was a lifelong Republican but is going door-to-door to campaign for Obama because he would end the war. Ousley said he had a friend who died in Iraq.
St. Louis-area members of the GOP for Obama steering committee include: Donna Sherwood of Wentzville, Marc Blanchard of St. Louis, Joe Passanise of St. Louis and John Levis of Frontenac.
When all your judgement to date has been bad, it really doesn’t matter how much of it you have, does it?
Given the founder isn’t even from this state, I suspect this will be the first and last we ever hear of “Missouri Republicans for Obama”.