2007年VOA标准英语-Iraq Dominates Early Stage of US Presidential R

By Jim Malone
Washington
06 February 2007

The war in Iraq looms¹ as the major issue in the 2008 U.S. presidential race.  The war is already causing splits among White House candidates in both major political parties.  VOA national correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington. 

The frontrunner for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination² is New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

 
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gestures while speaking at DNC Winter Meetings in Washington, 2 Feb 2007
"I pledge to you for the next two years that I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to do everything we can to change the direction of this country," she said.  "And then, when I am president, working with a Democratic Congress, we will really take our country back and put it on the right track again."

Senator Clinton opposes President Bush's troop increase for Iraq.  But unlike other senators who now say they regret voting to authorize³ the war in 2002, Clinton so far has resisted saying her vote for the war was a mistake.

Democratic rivals such as Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut and former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina have repudiated⁴ their votes to approve the war and now seek to draw a contrast with Senator Clinton in hopes of drawing support from liberal anti-war activists⁵.

The Democratic candidates are also divided on what to do next in Iraq.  Senator Clinton has not specified⁶ a timetable for the withdrawal⁷ of U.S. troops.  But some of the other candidates are proposing specific dates to at least begin withdrawal, including Edwards and Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

Another Democratic contender, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, is urging Congress to cut off funding for the war so that U.S. forces can be brought home immediately.

"The reality of capping troops or reducing the number of troops at some point in time in the future, that is not real change," he said.  "Real change is saying we want our troops out of harm's way now."

Republican presidential candidates generally are more supportive of President Bush's strategy on Iraq, including the plan to send 21,000 additional troops to try to improve security.

Perhaps the most vocal⁸ advocate of a troop increase is Arizona Senator John McCain, seen as one of the frontrunners for the Republican Party's presidential nomination.

McCain warned of the dangers of a quick U.S. pullout from Iraq on ABC's This Week program.

 
John McCain, 30 Jan 2007 
"It will be a chaotic⁹ situation that is not in our national security interest to see take place," he said.  "Again, I believe we can succeed."

At least one potential Republican presidential candidate opposes the Bush strategy on Iraq.  Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel told ABC that sending more troops into Iraq at this point would be a waste.

"We cannot change the outcome in Iraq by putting American troops in the middle of a civil war," said Mr. Hagel.

Political analysts¹¹ believe Iraq will dominate next year's presidential campaign, which begins next January with the Iowa Caucuses¹² and the New Hampshire primary.

This is Democratic pollster and political strategist Celinda Lake.

"Voters are going to be looking for who can change the mess in Iraq, who can stabilize¹³ the Middle East and who can change our position in the world," she noted¹⁴.  "I think voters are very, very nervous about a situation where we have few allies, we are not respected, we are not a part of international efforts in a number of areas."

Iraq will likely affect congressional elections in 2008, much as it did last November when Democrats¹⁵ swept to power in the House and Senate for the first time in 12 years.

American University political analyst¹⁰ James Thurber was a recent guest on VOA's Press Conference USA program.

"In the Senate, you have 21 Republican senators up [for re-election] who are very exposed," he explained.  "That is where you may find some problems getting re-elected if the war is really quite negative for Republicans."

Public opinion polls in the early presidential contest states of Iowa and New Hampshire found Democratic voters strongly opposed to the war in Iraq.  But the surveys also found that a majority of Republican voters in both states still believe the war was worthwhile.

1 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

3 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

4 repudiated   

v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务）

参考例句：

• All slanders and libels should be repudiated. 一切诬蔑不实之词，应予推倒。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Prime Minister has repudiated racist remarks made by a member of the Conservative Party. 首相已经驳斥了一个保守党成员的种族主义言论。 来自辞典例句

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

7 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

8 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

9 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

13 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》