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For a Man in the Middle on Iraq, Church Provides No Sanctuary
Davis fixed his eye on the floor as Iraq veteran John Bruhns said he was disgusted with the "brand-new Vietnam" in Iraq. He moved his expressionless gaze to the back of Bruhns's head as the veteran chanted "End the war!"
Then came the questions. The muttering began when Davis said he would "reserve judgment" about military progress.
  Republican Tom Davis: a few friends, a lot of hostile questioners. (By Richard A. Lipski -- The Washington Post)
VIDEO | The Washington Post's Dana Milbank sketches Republican Representative Tom Davis' (R-Va.) visit to a liberal town hall meeting on the war in Iraq in Burke, Va.
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Laughter followed when Davis said he expects the White House will "probably tweak" the report to Congress next month by Gen. David Petraeus. Grumbling increased when Davis said he will "give General Petraeus the benefit of the doubt."
"How do you justify the continued waste of American lives, sir?" came the next question. Davis's answer must have been unsatisfactory to one listener, who shouted, "We had our civil war -- let them have theirs!"
"Let me answer the question," Davis requested. The congressman proceeded, as did the dissenting comments, though at a lower volume.
Bruhn, trying to end the session after an hour, offered the formulaic "Congressman Davis, we really want to thank you."
"I want to thank everybody for being polite about it," Davis reciprocated.
That was Kuebrich's cue to be impolite. He and the man next to him, Fred Millar, erupted with complaints. "We haven't really gotten to anything we should be talking about! . . . You control the questions -- that's a very undemocratic procedure! . . . You don't listen to the voices of the people!"
In the mixture of boos, applause and shouting that followed, Davis departed with a disclaimer. "I didn't set the rules," he said. "I didn't set the rules."
For a video version of today's Washington Sketch, go to www.washingtonpost.com/sketch.
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