O.C. Board on Pro-Bush Resolution: Let’s Not

Annoyed by the hoopla raised when Los Angeles and other cities declared opposition to the looming war in Iraq, the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday discussed a resolution proclaiming its support of President Bush and his fight against terrorism.

But the supervisors stopped short of drafting a measure, fearing a bold resolution would attract hundreds of peace demonstrators and supporters of military action to the next board meeting.

One supervisor also argued that, in the past, the board has largely avoided weighing in on national politics.

“If something is agendized, no matter how innocuous, we are going to become a forum on American foreign policy,” said Supervisor Chris Norby.

Supervisor Charles Smith, a Korean War veteran, said that although he supports Bush and his Mideast policy, Orange County’s Hall of Administration isn’t the place to influence U.S. defense and foreign affairs.

“I’m very proud what they’re doing in the Middle East,” Smith said. “My problem is opening up for public debate something which we have no control over.”

Philadelphia, Detroit and most recently Los Angeles are among the 113 cities, counties and states that have passed resolutions opposing a unilateral war against Iraq, according to Cities for Peace, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition.

Publicity about these measures miffed newly elected Supervisor Bill Campbell, who proposed writing a resolution supporting Bush and U.S. troops overseas, without advocating war or seeking to influence foreign policy.

When supervisors balked at adopting an official county resolution, Campbell seized upon an alternative that Smith proposed: drafting a letter that would allow supervisors, as individuals, to express their support for the president.

Campbell plans to write the letter to the White House later this week. He will circulate it to his board colleagues, two of whom have children on active military duty.

Although they support Bush, many of the supervisors said they would have to see the wording of any proclamation before signing it.

“I think we have to be positive in support of the president rather than negative, that’s all,” Campbell said.

“It’s a statement of support for what he’s doing.”

South Carolina has expressed support for Bush’s efforts to disarm Iraq, but it’s unclear if other states or municipalities have adopted similar resolutions.

John Fadule of Mission Viejo, whose 19-year-old daughter is a Marine stationed in Kuwait, urged the board to issue the resolution.

“I support any demonstration of acceptance of the effort the president is trying to make,” said Fadule, who attended Tuesday’s meeting.

“I think it would be a nice demonstration of the differences between we in Orange County and our neighbors to the north.”

Norby noted that the Los Angeles City Council heard two days of testimony before it approved its resolution.

“I know the sentiment is that we have to balance what L.A. did, which is choose to oppose a war that doesn’t exist,” he said. But “the board has a history of not [getting involved in national politics], and I hope we would not change that.”