O.C. officials talk war

Orange County legislators have joined the battle over whether U.S. troops should stay in Iraq, and morale is a key issue in the debate.

In Washington, D.C., Huntington Beach Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is proposing Iraqis have a chance to vote on continued U.S. military presence. Meanwhile, in Sacramento, area GOP legislators are opposing a Democratic plan to let Californians vote on whether to withdraw troops.

State senators are expected to vote today on a slightly revised version of Oakland Democratic Sen. Don Perata’s plan to put a nonbinding measure on a troop pullout on the state ballot in February. The Assembly passed the measure Monday, but legislators said there’s no indication of how Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will receive it.

Perata was unavailable for comment Wednesday, his press secretary Alicia Trost said, but in written comments included in a summary of the bill, Perata said the measure “gives Californians a voice in the future of our country.”

Newport Beach Assemblyman Chuck DeVore was among local legislators who scorned Perata’s proposal, saying it caused him more angst than any other issue in his assembly career.

As far as policy is concerned, the measure is merely symbolic because the state has no power over deployment of troops, DeVore said.

But he believes it could do great harm to U.S. soldiers by sending the message that at least some Americans are ready to give up.

If you’re a supporter of terrorism, DeVore said, “you’re going to perhaps come to the conclusion that, well, maybe one more suicide bomb will make the difference.”

Huntington Beach Assemblyman Jim Silva and state Sen. Tom Harman agreed, saying they don’t think it’s the state legislature’s role to get involved in the federal decision to wage war, and that it could boost the morale of enemies of the U.S.

“I don’t think voters want us to pull out, but when you read nothing but negative articles in the newspaper, that has a tendency to sway public opinion,” Silva said.

Information on Perata’s website points out of the 3,700 American troops killed in Iraq since the war began, California has contributed a larger share than any other state, with more than 400 members of the military killed.

In the nation’s capital, Rohrabacher is seeking support for his proposal to put the question of U.S presence to Iraqi voters. Regardless of which way they’re leaning, federal decision makers should know what Iraqis want.

If Iraqis vote for a rapid U.S. withdrawal, those who have supported the war — including Rohrabacher — will be hard pressed to suggest staying, he said; but if the vote is to keep troops there, it could be extremely demoralizing to Al Qaeda and other U.S. enemies.

“When we talk about democracy, if we really mean it we should give the Iraqis the chance to vote on the most important issue confronting them today,” Rohrabacher said.

“This may well be an avenue in which, if they don’t want us there, Americans can withdraw with honor.”