Iraq on the Record

[Piña]

<font size="4">Iraq on the Record</font>
The Bush Admininstration's Public Statements on Iraq
presented by Rep. Henry A. Waxman

On March 19, 2003, U.S. forces began military operations in Iraq. Addressing the nation about the purpose of the war on the day the bombing began, President Bush stated: ?The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder.? One year later, many doubts have been raised regarding the Administration?s assertions about the threat posed by Iraq.

Prepared at the direction of Rep. Henry A. Waxman, the Iraq on the Record Database is a searchable collection of 237 specific misleading statements about the threat posed by Iraq made by the five Administration officials most responsible for providing public information and shaping public opinion on Iraq: President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Powell, and National Security Advisor Rice.The Iraq on the Record Report is a comprehensive examination of these statements.

(For more information on how these statements were selected, see the full methodology.)

<font color="blue">Source : Iraq on the record</font>

[LanDroid]

?Well, you?re the ? you and a few other critics are the only people I?ve heard use the phrase ?immediate threat.? I didn?t. The president didn?t. And it?s become kind of folklore that that?s ? that?s what?s happened."
- Donald Rumsfeld
Face the Nation, CBS (Mar. 14, 2004)

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"[N]o terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people than the regime of Saddam Hussein and Iraq."
Source: Testimony of U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Senate Armed Services Committee (9/19/2002).

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">SAWEEEEEEEET! [img]confused.gif[/img]

<font color="#000002" size="1">[ July 01, 2004 11:26 PM: Message edited by: LanDroid ]</font>

[reason]

If there is a major failing of the Bush administration, it's the inability to communicate a coherent message.

I am majorly pissed that we have young soldiers put in harms way and we have a president who can't get the story straight about why those young soldiers are there.

Mind you, I'm not against the war in Iraq. For complicated reasons, I really do think it is a piece of the puzzle in the war against terror.

Imagine if Ronald Reagan were in charge. Yeah, we'd have major protests against our military involvement. But at the same time we'd have a very clear, coherent message about what we were doing and why we were doing it.

[LanDroid]

That's why I always cringed when Bush supporters used to say his inability to speak eloquently was not important. (Clinton spoke well, but was immoral - Bush's morals are more important than his ability to speak, etc.) Now with Reagan's passing, Bush supporters are remembering that being a "great communicator" is a crucial aspect of leadership.

[travelinman]

Originally posted by LanDroid:
That's why I always cringed when Bush supporters used to say his inability to speak eloquently was not important. (Clinton spoke well, but was immoral - Bush's morals are more important than his ability to speak, etc.) Now with Reagan's passing, Bush supporters are remembering that being a "great communicator" is a crucial aspect of leadership.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Being able to speak is not a prerequisite to being able to think. Some consider Frank Lloyd Wright a great architect (I like his functionality designs, but I think his buildings are ugly) but he couldn't draw worth a damn. All of his designs were drawn by apprentices.

Now hopefully pina isn't looking. I am not comparing Bush to Wright and I don't think Bush is an exceptionally intelligent person (moral and committed yes), nor would he be my choice for the Republicans to nominate, but he is what we have and we have to work with him. To me political philosophy is more important then the person at the head. A philosophy can last many years while at the most any one President is around for 8 years.

[jumper69]

It is painful for me to listen to Bush speak without prepared notes.

I also feel like I need to take a shower anytime Kerry speaks.

I am not motivated about the upcoming election AT ALL.