Bush "trafficked in untruth" on Iraq - Kerry

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N16182781.htm

NEW YORK, July 16 (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender John Kerry said on Wednesday that the Bush administration had "trafficked in untruth" about Iraq trying to acquire uranium, a justification given for the war to oust Saddam Hussein.

The Massachusetts senator said in a speech here that Americans face "an intelligence gap" over the claim, which was included in U.S. President George W. Bush's State of the Union address in January.

In that speech, Bush said that Baghdad sought uranium from Africa to make nuclear weapons. It has since been learned that the intelligence reports were partly based on forged documents.

"We need an independent commission with a mandate to investigate the truth about any intelligence mistakes, any political interference with our intelligence agencies, and a State of the Union message that trafficked in untruth at a time when at least some in the administration knew it was wrong," Kerry said.

more

[Walt Starr]

1. Mr. Kerry, your statements are useless until you use the "L" word

He trafficed in LIES LIES LIES LIES LIES!!!

You can say it. Don't be afraid. Take off the pink tutu and call a lie a lie!

[NNN0LHI]

2. He came pretty close. But no cigar...yet n/t

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Cigar?

nt

[NNN0LHI]

15. Yikes! What was I saying? Maybe not quite yet would be better? n/t

[crissy71]

4. He's deliberate, slow

circling like a shark - yeah baby!!

:bounce:

[IndianaGreen]

16. More like circling like a frightened guppy

Why can't Kerry just say that Bush is a LIAR? Perhaps it is because Kerry still supports Bush's invasion of Iraq and is not ashamed of his own role in voting for the war?

Kerry is unrepentant, and he seems clearly uncomfortable when he is forced by events, and his rivals for the nomination, to attack policies that he agrees with.

Edwards gets a cigar today. Kerry gets zilch!

[JoFerret]

3. "trafficked" - good term

.

[skip fox]

6. But Bush is really, really trying to do better!

We have it on GOOD authority (DU's CAPTIONers):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=25323&mesg_id=25323&page=2

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=25410&mesg_id=25410&page=

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=25287&mesg_id=25287&page=2

[Frances]

7. Call YOUR senators and representatives

and demand an investigation. They have to hear from us so that they will back up the candidates forcefully.

[joeunderdog]

8. Send a note to George. He heard from me. eom

[Eddie Current]

9. from MoveOn

We need your help. Very soon, probably today or tomorrow, the Senate will vote on whether to create an independent commission to investigate the President's possible deception. The vote will come in the form of an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill, which is being debated now.

We'll need every last vote to win. Please take a moment right now to call your Senators and tell them how important it is that we get to the bottom of this with an independent investigatory commission.

With your support, Democrats are now coming together to demand answers. Yet President Bush and his officials are still showing that they're not willing to level with the American people.

Please call our colleagues in the Senate today, and ask them to push for a full, independent investigation of the President's claims on Iraq. By joining our efforts on Capitol Hill with your activism across America, we can make sure that the truth comes out.

Sincerely,
Senator Jon Corzine & Senator Debbie Stabenow

[revcarol]

13. Didn't this go down to defeat today?

or was "tabled?" Two different accounts on the CORZINE Amendment.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

10. Kerry is right to say this.

He should be careful in making the case against Bushco so that it is credible. When the time is right, then the "L word" should be used!

[blm]

11. I think "trafficked" is perfect....

Remember, it was Kerry who uncovered the drug "trafficking" of the Poppy regime led CIA. I think this was a clear shot to BushInc.

[DrFunkenstein]

14. Compare To Graham's Use of "Impeachment"

GRAHAM PREMATURELY UTTERS THE WORD "IMPEACHMENT"
by Michael Crowley

It's probably an ominous sign for Graham's candidacy that he has suggested Uraniumgate may be grounds for George W. Bush's impeachment, and hardly anyone paid attention. (Can you imagine the mayhem at RNC headquarters if, say, John Kerry had said this? Their server would crash from furious mass-emailing.)

Setting that aside, it's hard to know just how to assess Graham's comment. "If the standard of impeachment that the Republicans set for Bill Clinton, that a personal, consensual relationship was the basis for impeachment, would not a president who knowingly deceived the American people about something as important as whether to go to war meet the standard of impeachment?" On the one hand, we should not allow the GOP's maniacal inquisition of Clinton to be the modern standard for impeachment. On the other, it is true that there can be no more serious an offense than misleading the nation into a war, if that's what it turns out the Bush administration really did.

I give Graham credit for articulating the gravity of the current situation. I subtract points because even uttering the word "impeachment" is an extremely provocative act, and right now it feels more than a little premature.

http://www.tnr.com/primary/index.mhtml?pid=545

[dflprincess]

12. So where was he when the vote to table

the an investigation was passed today. Not voting - that's where.