Bob Bennett Open letter to Mike Lee

Mr. Lee,

Last week, three retired generals and a Utah guardswoman who has served in Afghanistan held a press conference to voice concerns about your position on the War on Terror and, specifically, Afghanistan.

Your response was unsettling and unsatisfying to us. You claimed that your words were taken out of context, but you never actually addressed the issues raised. Then your campaign spokesman said you were only speaking "hypothetically". Which was it? Were you taken out of context, or were you only speaking hypothetically?

This is the kind of double-speak that makes voters cynical. And we've seen this movie all too often, most recently in 2008. Then, a bright, young attorney came on the scene and captured the imagination of America. He raised their hopes with his rhetoric but kept his positions vague. Once in office, he quickly dashed their dreams with his actions. We can't allow that to happen in Utah this election year.

Since your political views are still largely unknown, it is our responsibility as delegates to raise questions, and your responsibility as a candidate to answer them.

Your positions on foreign policy appear to be well outside the Republican mainstream. According to your campaign social media director, you do not support the war on terror. [Connor Boyack, Facebook. March 22, 2010 1:51PM]. He indicates that you are a disciple of Congressman Ron Paul on National Security issues [Connor Boyack, Facebook. March 22, 2010 1:51PM]. You've already stated that we should get out of Afghanistan "as soon as we can". Do you also agree with Paul that we should abandon Israel?

These isolationist views line up perfectly with the anti-war, anti-American views of MoveOn.org, the Daily Kos, and are the positions of the extreme left. They are the views of those who do not understand America's role and responsibility in the world.

We find this worldview to be disqualifying if you believe it. It would be disturbing to us as delegates to have a senator from our state carry such views to Washington.

We are Reagan Republicans who believe in his vision of America as a "city set on a hill." We believe America must never shrink from being a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. We look forward to you reply, which we will distribute to other delegates as widely as we can.