Iraq war draws attention from 9th District candidates

COLUMBIA - Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the more recent troop surge of 2007, the issue has weighed heavily on voters' - and candidates' - minds. Much of the debate has centered around whether and when American troops should be withdrawn, whether a specific timetable for their withdrawal should be established, how much more money the country can afford to pour into the effort and how much good the United States is doing there. Candidates for the 9th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives have very different takes.