Ah, the irony. What leading Republicans and talking heads said about Kosovo and Clinton.

[madfloridian]

Makes what our Democrats are saying about the Iraq invasion look mild.

Some of these are from Glenn Greenwald in 2005, and some are from an email I saved.

****************************************
"I cannot support this military action in the Persian Gulf at this time. Both the timing and the policy are subject to question."
- former GOP Majority Leader Senator Trent Lott

"President Clinton is once again releasing American military might on a
foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
-Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"No goal, no objective, not until we have those things and a compelling case is made, then I say, back out of it, because innocent people are going to die for nothing. That's why I'm against it."
-Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/5/99

"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the
administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy."
-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

"You think Vietnam was bad? Vietnam is nothing next to Kosovo."
-Tony Snow, Fox News 3/24/99

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"
-Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99

"Bombing a sovereign nation for ill-defined reasons with vague objectives undermines the American stature in the world. The international respect and trust for America has diminished every time we casually let the bombs fly."
-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

The foregoing review of the Clinton Administration's prevarications on
Kosovo would not be complete without a brief look at one other possible
factor in the deepening morass. Consider the following fictional situation: A president embroiled in a sex scandal that threatens to bring down his administration. He sees the only way out in distracting the nation and the world with a foreign military adventure. So, he orders his spin-doctors and media wizards to get to work. They survey the options, push a few buttons, and decide upon a suitable locale: Albania.
- Sen. Larry Craig, U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee

Paul Weyrich, a leading conservative activist, said Clinton's decision to bomb on the eve of the impeachment vote "is more of an impeachable offense than anything he is being charged with in Congress."

Rep. Dick Armey, GOP Majority Leader
"The suspicion some people have about the president's motives in this attack is itself a powerful argument for impeachment," Armey said in a statement. "After months of lies, the president has given millions of people around the world reason to doubt that he has sent Americans into battle for the right reasons."

Byron York, National Review
Instead of striking a strong blow against terrorism, the action set off a howling debate about Clinton's motives. The president ordered the action three days after appearing before the grand jury investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair, and Clinton's critics accused him of using military action to change the subject from the sex-and-perjury scandal — the so-called "wag the dog" strategy.

Wall St. Journal Editorial Board
"It is dangerous for an American president to launch a military strike, however justified, at a time when many will conclude he acted only out of narrow self-interest to forestall or postpone his own impeachment"

*********************************
They spoke strongly and powerfully, and I don't think many Democrats are doing that.

[aquart]

1. And they were lying their asses off.

We should emulate Tom DeLay? That's what you get out of that shitpile of hypocrisy?

[madfloridian]

5. It is part of what happened. It is a pattern of GOP behavior.

They are bullies, or worse. Misinterpreting my meaning doesn't change what happened.

Goes to history and pattern.

[elleng]

2. Not one American died

in that action, which was conducted by General Wesley Clark.

Many have complained that Clinton waited so long.

It was a NATO action, to prevent any more ethnic cleansing.

[madfloridian]

3. Whoa, I am not criticizing Clinton for Kosovo. I am posting what they said.

They were vicious.

I guess I did not make that clear.

I am neither for or against Kosovo, but the way the GOP spoke out so strongly should give our party some ideas about how not to be timid.

[madfloridian]

4. Besides this is part of history. And Larry Craig's statement are priceless now.

"Sen. Larry Craig, U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee
The foregoing review of the Clinton Administration's prevarications on Kosovo would not be complete without a brief look at one other possible factor in the deepening morass. Consider the following fictional situation: A president embroiled in a sex scandal that threatens to bring down his administration. He sees the only way out in distracting the nation and the world with a foreign military adventure. So, he orders his spin-doctors and media wizards to get to work. They survey the options, push a few buttons, and decide upon a suitable locale: Albania."

Poor Larry.