Let's NOT Forget: Bush "was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999"

[kpete]

From: COMMON DREAMS
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Headlines

Two Years Before 9/11, Candidate Bush was Already Talking Privately About Attacking Iraq, According to His Former Ghost Writer
by Russ Baker

HOUSTON -- Two years before the September 11 attacks, presidential candidate George W. Bush was already talking privately about the political benefits of attacking Iraq, according to his former ghost writer, who held many conversations with then-Texas Governor Bush in preparation for a planned autobiography.

"He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999," said author and journalist Mickey Herskowitz. "It was on his mind. He said to me: 'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.' And he said, 'My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.' He said, 'If I have a chance to invade·.if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency." Herskowitz said that Bush expressed frustration at a lifetime as an underachiever in the shadow of an accomplished father. In aggressive military action, he saw the opportunity to emerge from his father's shadow. The moment, Herskowitz said, came in the wake of the September 11 attacks. "Suddenly, he's at 91 percent in the polls, and he'd barely crawled out of the bunker."

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1028-01.htm

[theoldman]

1. I always thought that Bush was trying to make up for what

he thought was his fathers mistake in ending the war in Iraq too soon. At the time I had the same thoughts but now I know why his father cut the war short. His father did not want to get us involved into an extended war with no end for many years. I and my children will be dead long before the issue with the Muslim is resolved.

[Orsino]

2. He *promised* to invade Iraq in '99.

He told his hired-gun journalist on the record. Not quite in so many words, but his meaning is perfectly clear.

[The White Tree]

3. Yes I thought of this yesterday

while watching clips of the prez on The Daily Show and the news. Particualrly when he made comments about no Presideent ever wanting to go to war. Of course you could never prove to the base punditry that this should be considered lying. They will find some ridiculous excuse for it.

But ultimately, I guess the moral of this sad story would have to be - Be Careful What You Wish For, given how unsuccessful he has been in trying to do just what he said he would if he got the chance.

[Tim4319]

4. C-SPAN 3 had the debate between he an Al Gore on last week.

He was saying then that Saddam needs to be removed.

[berni_mccoy]

5. But, but, "No President Wants War" - From Bush's Q&A yesterday

[Poiuyt]

6. He was not only thinking of invading Iraq, he was looking forward to it!

"If I have a chance..."

Does that sound like someone who was trying to avoid war?

[catmandu57]

7. That was my main reason for opposing the moran* then

I told everyone I knew not to vote for this idiot*, I talked loud and long, telling anyone who would listen that we would be in Iraq on the flimsiest of reasons, that alone was enough for me.
People who I told this too gave me the yeah right look and went on about their lives, some of them bought the have a beer and three hundred dollar tax rebate, because after all it was "their money".
To all of you who didn't believe me well, I told ya so and how much of "your money" has the chimp* blown to hell in Iraq?