Fletcher Smith: A Human Face Behind the Banter Battles

Ongoing disputes over the Iraq war between Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Bill Richardson are commonplace on the Iowa campaign trail. Barbs of words have been launched from both sides, during public appearances as well as through official campaign press releases.

Although candidates in a primary will typically try to to keep personal attacks at a minimum for fear of such disagreements coming back to haunt them during the general election, the Iraq war is a major bone of discontent throughout the country and a cornerstone of both candidates’ campaign strategy in Iowa and in the nation. It’s also the primary issue for one South Carolina legislator who now stands in the middle of the Biden-Richardson conflict.

Rep. Fletcher Smith Jr. represents Greenville County in the South Carolina Legislature. He has served in the state legislature since 1997 and is an attorney, husband and father to two children. He is also a former co-chair of the Bill Richardson for President campaign in South Carolina and now one of seven Democratic legislators in the state who have pledged to support Biden for president.

“I was supporting Gov. Bill Richardson and it became clear to me as the campaign started to progress that his policy on Iraq — or lack of policy — was not the policy I could support,” Smith said Friday night after the Black Hawk County Presidential Forum in Waterloo. “I thought troops couldn’t be brought out of Iraq in a six-month period of time and I don’t think it is appropriate to leave our equipment there. I don’t think it is appropriate to leave those people unprotected in the Green Zone. We are also placing our military in harm’s way when we evacuate in a Vietnam-style way.”

As his discontent grew, Smith began researching other candidates’ plans for Iraq.

“Sen. Biden just fortuitously had a plan that was supported by both Democrats and Republicans in the United States Senate that federalized Iraq and separated the parties,” he said. “The plan has a weak central government that can dampen down the civil war, protect our vital interests in the area and keep our commitment to the Iraqis. So, I changed.”

Once Smith decided he was leaving Richardson’s team, he had some calls to make.

“I first had to talk with the people I was working with,” he said. “I tried to contact the governor for several weeks and his staff, for some reason, insulated him from my calls. Finally, when I told one of his operatives that I was changing anyway, I got a call from the governor. We talked about it. I told him I was leaving and that I was going to endorse Sen. Biden because I thought that he had a real plan that could work and that he reached across party lines. That’s why I’m with Joe Biden today.”

Smith, an African-American, said he had no qualms supporting Biden despite the media hype the candidate created the day he announced his White House run.

“I hope I’m articulate and clean,” said Smith before letting go an easy laugh. “And, I think Sen. Biden is articulate and clean. That was not a slur on the basis of race at all. As a matter of fact, the NAACP president has said the same thing about black candidates. I think we want candidates who are articulate, clean and moral. We could use a new president of the United States who’s articulate and clean.”

While Smith switched candidates based on his primary issue of the Iraq war, he says that he believes Biden is the best person to lead the nation on domestic issues.

“Joe Biden was for civil rights when being for civil rights wasn’t cool in this country,” he said. “I wouldn’t be a black state representative if he hadn’t voted for the extension of the Voting Rights Act to make sure that we had diversity in our society. Also, I like his policy in regard to health care because he’s going to bring universal health care to our nation’s citizens — especially those who are most vulnerable like our young people and our senior citizens. This is a man who understands, who grew up humbly. He understands what it means to be humble in society and that you must lift people up and not tear people down. That’s why he ought to be president of the United States.”

Despite attempts to veer the interview toward discussions of how the campaign is shaping up in South Carolina and strategical differences between what’s happening on the ground there and here in Iowa, Smith would not be moved from his role as advocate.

“Things are going very well [in South Carolina],” he said. “I think Sen. Biden is going to reverberate and resonate very well in our state. He’s had a good relationship with the United States senators in our state. Sen. Fritz Hollings was a good friend of his who fought against poverty in our state. I expect Sen. Biden to win South Carolina. We are going to do everything we can to win South Carolina for him and he’s going to do very well there.

“In this time of our nation’s history, we need the man with the experience, the courage and the determination who has sound and sober and sensible policies such as Joe Biden to lead our country in the 21st century,” he said. “We can’t afford on-the-job training. This man will be president on day one, after he takes the oath of office. We can all be proud of the fact that we have an American like Joe Biden running for the presidency of the United States.”

Smith spent the past weekend campaigning in Iowa on behalf of Biden. In addition to the Black Hawk County event, he also attended the seventh annual Sisters on Target Leadership Banquet in Des Moines. Although future trips into Iowa have not yet been scheduled, campaign staff anticipates he will visit again before caucus night.

The Richardson campaign has announced a new co-chairman of its South Carolina efforts. State Rep. Ken Kennedy, D-Williamsburg, who has served in the legislature since 1991 has joined with former congressman Butler Derrick to endorse Richardson. Kennedy cites Richardson’s plan for Iraq as one of his key reasons for joining the campaign.

“Bill Richardson is the only major candidate who understands that we cannot leave our troops in harm’s way in Iraq any longer,” Kennedy said. “As a sitting governor and world-renowned diplomat, I know that Bill Richardson has the experience to get our country back on track. I am proud to join the Richardson team and look forward to increasing support for Governor Richardson around South Carolina.”

There is no word yet if Kennedy or Derrick will be used as surrogates for the campaign in Iowa.