Reply #28: It was a losing proposition for the Dems to vote no on the IWR. [View All]

[YouMustBeKiddingMe]

There would have been a war anyway, and the Dems would have been crucified by the public and the Repubs as soft on National Security and Defense, so what Dems did was to take that weapon away from the Repubs for political survival. They also insisted on putting teeth into the resolution to make sure the inspection process would be implemented and that the UN and that our ally nations would be consulted and involved in a coalition. It was not dreamed at that time that Bush would run rough shod over the UN and all of our allies and piss off the rest of the world! And remember, they had this nation convinced that Iraq was responsible for 911 and had WMD’s, even if some of us knew better.

I don’t believe a vote for the IWR was a vote FOR war. That resolution called for several steps with war being the absolute LAST RESORT, and Bush absolutely disregarded the entire resolution and went straight for war. In fact, the Bush administration was prepared to go to war without the IWR – if you recall – they felt they had the right to do so in one of the UN resolutions and the War Powers act. THEY WOULD HAVE GONE TO WAR ANYWAY. The Dems did all they could to slow them down by putting teeth in the resolution without committing political suicide in the process.

And, I DO think basing one’s vote on the IWR a “single issue” vote. Clearly. None of the Democrats who voted for the IWR would have taken us into this war. NONE OF THEM. They did not start this war, BUSH did. Yes, I think that war is wrong with every fiber of my being. But there is no turning back now – it happened. Like most Democrats, I’m more focused on getting someone in the White House who can clean up the mess that Bush got started, and more importantly, who will not continue additional wars into Syria, Iran, and North Korea, than on dwelling on what can’t be undone.