For a state that ranks third in the number of its soldiers killed in Iraq, the issue of what American policy should be in the war-torn nation remains a top concern and has divided Pennsylvania Democrats -- even though Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have almost identical voting records and proposals on the matter.

In this socially conservative state that is home to the largest Army National Guard in the country, the public's frustration with the war erupted in 2006. Pennsylvania voters ousted four U.S. members of Congress and a U.S. senator, based in large part to their support for President Bush's war policies.

But since that time, fresh military progress from the troop surge in Iraq, combined with a serious U.S. economic slowdown, appears to have shifted the attention of many in the state.

"The Iraq war has fluctuated a bit over the last year," said Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

"While voters don't yet think the Iraq war is worth fighting, they do recognize the success of the surge, and that's dropped the significance of the Iraq war [among voters]."

For registered Democrats in Pennsylvania, the Iraq war ranks as the second most important issue behind the economy and above health care, according to a March Franklin and Marshall poll.

Among voters who listed the war as their top concern, Sen. Barack Obama holds an advantage over Sen. Hillary Clinton, 42 percent to 35 percent. But a larger number of voters polled said that Clinton could end the war, 40 percent to Obama's 34. How those numbers will translate into votes is difficult to gauge said Madonna, as the economy is shaping up to be "by far the most important issue."

Regardless, Pennsylvania has paid a high toll in the war, suffering 184 casualties, according to U.S. Department of Defense data.

As of the end of February, Pennsylvania had about 7,100 active service people in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are also nearly 1,800 reserve forces deployed, including 900 from the Army Guard.

"In Pennsylvania the Iraq war has a certain power given the number of National Guard members here," said Steve Peterson, director of the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg.

The number of Pennsylvanians serving in Iraq could jump soon -- a 4,000 member Stryker brigade has received alert orders and is expected to receive a mobilization order sometime in the fall. A combat aviation brigade of 2,000 also received alert orders.

"If both those units do receive mobilization orders that would put us at our highest deployment level at one time since the beginning of the war," said Cpt. Cory Angell, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Guard.

Angell describes the guard as a community-based organization that has deep roots.

"Soldiers that have deployed are probably going to deploy again, so the stress that is on the families from more than one deployment, that is just the world we live in now," said Angell.

"It's very important that we try to mitigate any negative effect on families and employers."
The Stryker brigade draws from a swath of Pennsylvania that includes Erie, State College and Philadelphia, where it is headquartered.

Democrats' stances on war 'nuanced'

Republicans as a whole, including many servicemen and women, have been more supportive of the war in Iraq, and Pennsylvania reflects that national pattern, said Penn State's Peterson.

Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain has made clear his intention to support a continued American presence in Iraq. He has championed the war from the beginning, although he has criticized the handling of part of the conflict, blaming the Pentagon for not deploying more troops into the region after the fall of Saddam Hussein. He was an outspoken supporter of the surge, and continues to call for U.S. forces to remain in Iraq until victory can be claimed.

On the Democratic side of the ledger, the differences between their major candidates are far more nuanced. The similarities between the Democratic candidates on this issue seem to outweigh the differences. Both Clinton and Obama have called for an end to the war and a plan for withdrawing troops.

Clinton's plan involves starting to pull troops out within 60 days of being sworn in as president, while Obama promises to remove all combat brigades within 16 months.
Both call for diplomatic measures with regional powers and bordering countries. Both prioritize keeping a level of stability and peace in Iraq and providing aid to Iraqis.

A more concrete difference can be seen in their choices prior to the war, in 2002, when Congress was preparing to vote to authorize President Bush to go to war.

Obama was not in the Senate at the time of the vote, but he gave a speech opposing the war days before the vote. Clinton, on the other hand, voted in favor of authorizing President Bush to go to war. But since Obama joined the Senate, the two candidates have had similar voting records on the war. Neither voted to cut war funding until May 2007.

"There are differences between the two, but the positions are very similar especially when you compare it to McCain's position," said Peterson.

Madonna agreed, saying that voter awareness of the specific differences does not appear to be very high. "My sense is that you couldn't stick a ruler between them on their positions," he said.

While voters may not see the difference, several Pennsylvania House members with military backgrounds have publicly chosen sides, citing the Iraq war as a major concern.

Rep. John Murtha, a high-profile former Marine and Vietnam War veteran, endorsed Clinton, as did Rep. Joe Sestak, a three-star Navy admiral who commanded an aircraft carrier battle group. His endorsement was partially based on his observations of her interest in veterans' issues, including Gulf War Syndrome.

"She has come to value our military as a national treasure because of the men and women who serve," said Sestak.

As for the Iraq war and her policy, Sestak said she has "the breadth of vision and understanding to call for what is appropriate."

"She recognized Iraq as a tragic misadventure, but it must be ended well."

But Obama found support from Congress' only Iraq war veteran, Rep. Patrick Murphy.
"When I returned from Baghdad, I saw that we needed to go in a new direction - both here at home and in Iraq," Murphy said in a statement to reporters.

Obama is the "best suited to bring about the changes we need in our country," Murphy added.

Those endorsements might not have as much impact as they could have in states that voted earlier since both Democrats are quite well known by this point in the race, said Penn State's Peterson.

But, said Peterson, "The race is likely to tighten up before the final vote occurs. It would not surprise me if Iraq is one of the issues associated with that tightening."

-- By Talea Miller, Online NewsHour