Spirited council debates Iraq war
Amid bickering, resolution OK'd
Just about every deliberative body that matters has already debated and redebated the war in Iraq, but yesterday the Boston City Council decided it was time to weigh in.
Councilors bickered for more than an hour before voting 8-3 to approve a resolution condemning US involvement in the conflicts in the Middle East. They were emphatic, grave , and impassioned. Some quoted former president John F. Kennedy and civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Councilor Chuck Turner , who introduced the measure, gave a spirited argument to bring all troops home and slash the national military budget. Councilor at Large Stephen Murphy pounded his fist on his desk and shouted his belief that the war in Afghanistan, at least, is worth supporting.
Councilor Sal LaMattina fumed that it was ridiculous to even bring up the issue, while the council president, Maureen E. Feeney , said it was important to let councilors vent their feelings. And, at least on this issue, almost every one of them did.
Perhaps keeping in mind the national political stars that have risen or fallen based on their stances on the war, councilors seemed to rise to new rhetorical levels to make their points. Councilor Jerry McDermott at one stage stood and spoke solemnly.
"The threat of global terrorism is real, and we have to realize that," he said. "You want to pull back, that's all well and good, give the troops a break. But we're going back again. We're at war. We've got to suck it up."
His face grew stern.
"We're at war," he repeated. "I don't know what else to say, other than that maybe we should remember what happened on 9/11."
Council rules discourage Boston city councilors from deliberating during public meetings about matters that aren't directly related to the city. But enforcement of the rule is left up to the council president. And proponents of the 832-word resolution, which calls on the Massachusetts delegation to bring US troops back from Iraq and Afghanistan, argued that the war's escalating cost is contributing to a decline in federal dollars for the city. If the war wasn't going on, they said, crime would decline, schools would improve, and the city would have more affordable housing.
"It's a dollar and cents matter," said Councilor Michael Ross , a co sponsor of the measure, along with Felix D. Arroyo and Charles C. Yancey. "If you cut funds. . .there is a consequence."
At one point, Murphy, who said his colleagues were acting like they were "a mini Congress" by debating the issue, appeared to try and filibuster by talking beyond his allotted 2 minutes and challenging the council president to "gavel me out of order."
He argued for several minutes that it was ridiculous for the council to be spending time on the measure, but then went on to expound on his views about the situation overseas.
"One other thing, as long as we're talking about federal issues," he said. "We were attacked on September 11 by Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, and I happen to believe that this government made a terrible mistake in Iraq. We shouldn't have run from hunting them down in Afghanistan and finishing that job."
The issue being on the floor at all was a noted change from former council president Michael F. Flaherty , who often did not allow such measures to proceed. Feeney, who took over as president last month, has pledged to allow councilors to air their grievances.
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com. 