Jared Polis for Congress

Ritter said he is confident he is getting a real impression of the situation in Iraq because the message has been consistent, whether in briefings with top military officials or in conversations with individual Colorado troops.

“Everyone has been quite honest about the need to build a political infrastructure,” he said.

This is Ritter’s first trip to Iraq.

Gov. Bill Owens visited Iraq on Feb. 24, 2006, in an effort to pump up the troops and see for himself what was happening in the war.

He and Democratic Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry visited soldiers in the Colorado Army National Guard and, along the way, met Fort Carson troops clearly surprised to see the governor in their part of the world.

Ritter is the third Colorado Democrat to travel to Iraq in recent weeks.

Boulder entrepreneur Jared Polis, who is seeking his party’s nomination for the 2nd Congressional District election, flew to Jordan and Iraq two weeks ago. He was not part of an official delegation and did not leave the International Zone while in Iraq.

Upon returning home, Polis called the Iraq situation a “basket case.” He also criticized the U.S. government for outsourcing the war to foreign mercenaries.

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