Former Virginia Democratic Sen. Charles Robb has a strong belief in presidential prerogative in foreign affairs based upon his political life and military experience; a belief that likely influenced his contribution to the Iraqi Study Group, according to people who have worked and followed Robb.
The group, charged with making policy recommendations to President George W. Bush on the Iraq War, is expected to suggest withdrawing nearly all combat troops by 2008, according to reports. The group is expected to issue its report Wednesday. Democrats, who will take control of Congress, have advocated for a timeline to get troops out of Iraq. President Bush has consistently resisted calls for a deadline.
Robb, who served as senator from 1989 to 2001, did not return calls for comment. According to people who work with him and have followed him, Robb believes the president, and only the president, should determine when to withdraw troops.
“Robb has known every president since John F. Kennedy,” said Tom Lehner, Robb’s former chief of staff. “He’s had a good working relationship with every president since. He recognizes the value of the United States speaking with one voice when it comes to foreign policy.”
Lehner said this does not mean Robb thinks the president should act without consulting congressional leaders, and that decisions like how to deal with Iraq should not be politicized.
“What motivates someone like Charles Robb is to have the best available information available in a non-politicized framework,” he said. “You can make the best decision with the best set of facts in front of you.”
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said he has followed Robb since he served as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in the late 1970s. Sabato said he believes Robb’s experience in Lyndon Johnson’s White House and his service in Vietnam inform his views on Iraq.
Robb married Johnson’s daughter Lynda in 1967, and experienced first-hand the public turmoil caused when Congress challenged the president.
“As a member of the Johnson family, he experienced Vietnam,” Sabato said. “He saw what happens when Congress fights the president for control of foreign policy in a foreign war. That’s exactly what you see happening now.”
After marrying, Robb served two tours in Vietnam, winning the Bronze Star. Sabato said Robb’s first-hand knowledge of war and combat allows him to understand the urgency of improving the Iraq situation.
“He understands the nature of conflict and what it means for the troops on the ground,” Sabato said. “He knows the value of good intelligence.”
