An Iraqi swing

Is Walter Jones leading the way or off on a tangent?

The Republican congressman, who represents a district with several large military bases in eastern North Carolina, cast a remarkable vote recently. He voted for a measure that would press President Bush to set a timetable to remove U.S. troops from Iraq.

While the Democratic-sponsored measure failed 300-128, five Republicans, including Jones, voted with the minority.

You may remember Jones as a leading supporter of the war in 2002 and 2003. When the United States could not secure the assistance of France, he led the charge to rename "French Fries," opting for the jingoistic "Freedom Fries."

Today, Jones is singing a different tune. The money quote now is:

"If we were given misinformation intentionally by people in this administration, to commit the authority to send boys, and in some instances girls, to go into Iraq, that is wrong."

We can reasonably grant that Jones is sincere in his swing on Iraq. Perhaps what he's doing is truly representing his khaki-colored district, where military families are feeling increasingly left out in the cold by policies in Iraq that aren't gaining much traction. How long will it be before other Southern congressmen who supported invading Iraq make this turn? It's hard to believe Jones is the only Southern congressman with a wealth of military families who are suffering mightily on the homefront.