Senator Kerry? About that promise you made in 2002...

[Career Prole]

I've still got your back, sir, but you made a deal...

<snip>

As the President made clear earlier this week, "Approving this resolution does not mean that military action is imminent or unavoidable." It means "America speaks with one voice."

Let me be clear, the vote I will give to the President is for one reason and one reason only: To disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, if we cannot accomplish that objective through new, tough weapons inspections in joint concert with our allies.

In giving the President this authority, I expect him to fulfill the commitments he has made to the American people in recent days--to work with the United Nations Security Council to adopt a new resolution setting out tough and immediate inspection requirements, and to act with our allies at our side if we have to disarm Saddam Hussein by force. If he fails to do so, I will be among the first to speak out.

<snip>

Kerry floor speech before IWR vote

John Conyers and a bunch of other folks are getting the ball rolling with a letter to the president about a British leaked memo which certainly seems to show that the president willfully lied to us and to you guys too when he asked for the war resolution.

You said in your speech that night that you personally weren't going to let him get away with that. During your campaign I told all my friends who were put off by your IWR vote that you would tear bush a new a$$hole as soon as there was a smoking gun. I even e-mailed around your floor speech to prove it.

The memo is the gun, Senator Kerry, and that gun is smoking.

Get our backs.

[KoKo]

1. I think Kerry hears "crickets chirping" in his head. OR....

he will come in once the "strategy" is revealed and drive the ball over the goal line for us.

Take your pick.

[Dr Ron]

2. Kerry was one of the first to speak out

It was Kerry who called for regime change in Washington at the onset of the war.

It was Kerry who criticized Bush's move towards war for months between the IWR and the start of the war when most Democrats were still quiet on the issue.

[Career Prole]

3. Two years ago. And at the time it was politics.

With the memo in hand it is much more than that.

[Dr Ron]

4. Kerry spoke out repeatedly

Just as he did when he returned from Vietnam.

It was conviction, not just politics.

[Career Prole]

5. I was just about to edit the subject line

to say it was regarded as politics. My bad.

[BeFree]

6. It is now or never

They have 'em over the barrel, it's time to whack the crap outta the liars, eh?

Or.... it could be that the theory of this war venture is the only way of saving America, has a basis. That theory includes grabbing the oil and stopping the Euro from becoming the new petro dollar. Both actions, so far, have had some success.

I guess Kerry has heard all the arguments by now. If he doesn't whack the bush now, it will lead me to believe the war theory is adopted throughout the leadership.

[TayTay]

7. Ahm, excuse me, but Kerry has been bashing * on Iraq for awhile

He did "Meet the Press" in January and Kerry got bashed because he didn't jump on the "Everything is fine with Iraq because they had elections" bandwagon. (Remember?)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886726/

Remember the NYU speech last year. That hit * really hard on the war.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35515-2004Sep20_2.html

The British memo is horrifying, but not a smoking gun. Most of what is in there has been in the US media. (Paul O'Neill's book in Jan 2004 revealed that the * Admin began planning for a war with IRaq upon taking office in Jan 2001.) But the media has let it slide. Your argument is not with Kerry, who agrees with you, but with a media that refuses to report on it.

[bvar22]

8. If what you say is true,

then John Kerry should have no problem signing the letter.
His NAME RECOGNITION would only help FORCE the CorpoMedia to acknowlege the British Memo.

[BeFree]

9. No argumant with Kerry

Shoot, I supported him on this board time and again when folks bashed him for his posture on Iraq.

The gist of my post is: Now or Never. I don't think Kerry would have made much headway before now, lord knows he tried.

Also that maybe the war is the only way America could be saved?

That's the two options.... I'm sure Kerry will do what he thinks is best.

Peace

[magellan]

10. The leaked minute IS a smoking gun

The details have been previously reported by the US media? Please provide links.

The relevant portions of Paul O'Neill's book, like Richard Clarke's testimony, have been entirely dismissed and pooh-poohed by the entire Reich Wing as politically motivated lies. Bush** insists to this day that going to war with Iraq was a "last resort".

Kerry and the other Dems ought to take the British minute in one hand and our Corporate Media Whores in the other, and read it live into the cameras from coast to coast. I don't know why Kerry doesn't do this. He's the one who called Bush** everything but an outright liar over Iraq. The British minute backs him up 100%.

[TayTay]

13. The media is not moving on this

We know there were no WMDs. We stone cold know this. Yet no action from the media and no attempt to hold the Admin's feet to the fire. We know that Abu Ghhraib was not initiated by a bunch of kids from West Virginia. Yet the media doesn't really care. We know that * planned on going to war in 2001, upon taking office. The media does not care.

Kerry has spoken out on this. The media does not care. At all. The media will care in 10 years when this is safely behind us and it can be tut-tutted as an unfortunate incident in history.

Kerry doesn't have any special soapbox on which to trumpet this. He has been doing a great job this year. He has the Bolton stuff coming up this week and that matters. He has a hearing scheduled to try and get the US government to stop making progaganda tapes made and distributed without a disclaimer and that is important. He has been working for better veterans benefits and he worked to try and save the ARtic Wildlife Refuge. (Did you care?) He voted against the Bankruptcy Bill and cloture on that bill. Nobody cares. He voted against Condiliar Rice and against Toture Boy Gonzalez. Again, nobody cares. He has spoken up 3 times since January in speeches about fixing the problems with the election system. He co-sponsored a bill to do that. Nobody cares.

Now you want him to carry all the water on this? Right! The minute he disagrees with the lefty purists, it will all be ignored. Maybe when he gets back from being focused on KidsFirst and has a chance to read the memo, maybe he'll have a comment. But the memo is not really news. The media knew this and nobody cares.

[magellan]

14. There is NOTHING more important

...than getting Bush** out of the WH ASAP, and this British minute can do it if our Dems will push it publicly. They are NOT.

You haven't provided links to previous US press coverage you claim proves Bush** lied about Iraq. Of course the press probably knew. A LOT OF US KNEW. But nothing released in the US or British press makes the case until the minute that was leaked this past weekend. Knowing and proving are two different things. We NOW have proof.

I didn't say Kerry should "carry all the water on this". Please try not to let your obvious devotion to the man lead you to misinterpret others. ALL the Dems have a crust in taking the details of this minute to the max, but Kerry was the one who kept stopping short of calling Bush** a LIAR during his campaign. The British minute supports his assertion. Why shouldn't I expect our "shadow president" to pick this up and run with it? Because he's too busy, is that what you're saying?? Well, pardon me for being logical. But perhaps if the right people were more focused on holding the asshat in the WH accountable for LYING us into a bloody illegal war, there'd soon be less need to run around trying to put out the myriad fires he and his criminal administration start every day.

The Dems as a whole now hold the gun and they appear afraid to pull the trigger. It isn't difficult. Hold a press conference! Shove the British minute in the country's face!! Yet a week on they are SILENT; the people remain UNINFORMED. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be outraged.

And yes, for what it's worth, I do care about ANWR. I care about EVERYTHING this GD administration does that's destroying our country. That's why I find it supremely galling to know this minute has been out there for a solid week and not ONE DEM IS SPEAKING ALOUD ABOUT IT.

[TayTay]

21. What does this memo provide that all the other stuff did not

We had the book by O'Neill that described a cabinet members feelings that war with Iraq was a goal of the Admin from day one. We have had numerous commission reports that show there were no WMD and thus no need to go to war with that as the cause.

I hope this memo does it. I hope that when the Senate comes back this week it gets play. But I am not getting my hopes up. I think that too many members of the MSM were complicit in this war and urged it on. They have nothing to gain and everything to lose by bringing things like this to the fore. I don't think they care.

[hootinholler]

22. Confirmation from an irrefutable source...

That's what it provides. An official UK gubmint document whose accuracy was confirmed by that government, that confirms what so many have reported to have thier stories spun out of existence, or just flat out ignored.

Other than a fulcrum point, it provides nothing new.

-Hoot

[MoonRiver]

11. Promises, promises, promises......

I remember a promise from Kerry that he would fight for US with his army of lawyers if bushco pulled its usual and expected shenanigans by trying to steal the 2004 election.

Ah, so much for promises. :nopity:

[zulchzulu]

12. Remember Kerry's speech on March 1, 2003 (MP3)

http://www.writersact.com/kerry/media/kerry-war.mp3

Kerry warning Bush not to rush to war in Iraq (March 1, 2003)

Of course, he kept his promise.

[wisteria]

15. Kerry has been very vocal about Bush's handling of the war.

How certain is it the "leaked memo" coming out right before an election, is not a fake? I haven't heard much about it.

[NightOwwl]

18. Because Blair acknowledged it was true. n/t

[LeftCoast]

16. Sorry, Kerry's too busy bashing gay marriage today

He'll have to check the political winds and get back to you later...

[NightOwwl]

17. Haven't you heard?

He's too busy bashing gay marriage right now. He'll be making his move any day now, I'm sure of it. :sarcasm:

eta: Wow, that was weird leftcoast. I thought I double-posted until I saw your name!

[LeftCoast]

19. We must've been sharing the same wave-length

:)

[Massacure]

20. Kerry did speak out.

Where the hell do you think the media got his "I voted for it before I voted against it" thingy going?

[gulfcoastliberal]

24. Don't forget his other famous statement: "I'd have still voted that way"

When he was the Grand Canyon photo op. Apparently America was blinded by such brilliance.

[Zhade]

23. Indeed.

NT!