Rep. John B. Larson Rep. John Larson recently was the guest at a Jewish Ledger luncheon. Below are excerpts from his remarks. U.S. House of Representatives, First Congressional District -Born in Hartford and raised in East Hartford -Graduated from East Hartford High School and Central Connecticut State University -Elected to Connecticut State Senate in 1982 serving 12 years representing the Third Senate District -Served as Senate President Pro-Tempore for eight years On the war in Iraq: "I feel the country has taken a hard right turn and been misled by over-zealous neo-Conservative ideology, that had the United States drift away from fundamental policies, most notably policies of containment, deterrence and diplomacy opting instead for new doctrine of unilateralism and pre-emption. I think these are dangerous strategies for the country. Irrespective to where you stood on the war with regard to Iraq, those policies and forgoing the Weinberger Doctrine and the Powell Corollary, which [says] if the United States is not attacked, unless it is imminently threatened by a country …and if not only threatened but if they do attack we go in with overwhelming force. Both of those instances we did not follow… With respect to [the war in Iraq] we are on a mission to accomplish and fulfill. Our troops have performed admirably under incredible conditions. You may know that I voted against going to war in Iraq. I also have come up with a plan, not entirely my own thinking, but raised by … others who really see us having to set a time [limit] and take the American face off of the occupation that is going on in Iraq. This of course I think is going to be central in the discussions of the presidential election {as well as] domestic issues, most notably the continued outsourcing of jobs and tax policy as it relates to our ability to address the ongoing domestic concerns of the country. On the Democratic presidential ticket: We are heartened and enthusiastic in our support of John Kerry and John Edwards. We feel there is a strong chance that the election won't be close, that it's not going to be what we experienced in 2000…I think it is going to go either way, and either way substantially. Either people feel that we've headed down the wrong path and made a hard right turn in the wrong direction or they believe that we have to stay the course with the current commander in chief. On the divide the country has experienced since the beginning of the war in Iraq: I think the [911] commission's recommendations give us something that in so many respects is not non-political to the extent that everybody understands the depth and significance and importance and the searing memory of 9/11, so not to act on this in a non-partisan way is senseless… I really think ecumenically we have to do a lot more than we are doing. There is an opportunity here for the children of the book to come together and address some of the unbelievable undercurrents of hate that we're facing. Even in our own nation, but most notably and glaringly when you go abroad, especially when I was in Saudi Arabia…We do a lot of coffee klatches and talks about what the Wahhabi sect has been doing in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East…the venom and hate towards Israel and the "Grand Satan," the "Grand Satan" being the United States. And it is amazing to me to think that we have not been able to get the major religious forces [together]. There's pockets of things that are happening all over the place. But nothing like you see in the dramatic fashion of people being pulled together to get them talking about all of the things that the children of Abraham have in common, as opposed to the things that have divided us. And obviously the things in Islam that have become perverted to the extent that we have this ongoing terror whether Al-Qaida or whether it is Hamas. It is the same senseless things that are being driven religiously. And if we don't attack that at its core by raising the level of conversation…When I talk to people both abroad and at home, they look at our primary institutions…here is Congress that is polarized…the lack of faith or confidence in the United Nations coming up with any meaningful resolutions and often when they do seeming punitive or only singling out one country, as was the case with Israel.. How do you change that? …It is so clear to me that there needs to be more high level discussion amongst religious leaders about this issue. And I think that will have a profound influence both in helping to moderate the politics of the situation. --Reported by Stacey Dresner