Trenchant_Troll
ad hominid
Registered: Mar 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 24747 |
quote:
Originally posted by lucidnightmare
if i believed for one second that this guy really supports the idea of using Predator drones to fire missiles at terrorist leaders , i would support him whole heartedly . but it is hard for me to believe that , when the base of his party thinks we can win against terrorist by being nicer to them .
On the contrary, and steeped in sickening irony, the Left held a nearly
identical stance on matters of terrorism and security (esp. the threat from Iraq)
that they have the gall to villify the President and his administration for, simply for the sake
of political advantage. It is not about appeasement among Liberals, it is about how they
can make this thing work for them. It is their arrogant and hypocritical demagoguery that adds distraction and
divisiveness at a time when forces are aligned for the sole purpose of forcing us to their will or destroying us all.
"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of
mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."
- President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998 |
"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously
diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
- President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
"We must stop Saddam from ever again jeopardizing the stability and security of his neighbors
with weapons of mass destruction."
- Madeline Albright, Feb 1, 1998
"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."
- Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution
and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on
suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's
refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."
Letter to President Clinton.
- (D) Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, others, Oct. 9, 1998
"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction
technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the
weapons inspection process."
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998
"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons
of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies."
- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999
"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and
stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of
mass destruction and the means of delivering them."
- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it
will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein
retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a
crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that
he is seeking nuclear weapons..."
- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002
"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force -- if necessary --
to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in
his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002
"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons
and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have
always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to
rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear
program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is
clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to
wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and
has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of
weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002
"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator,
leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so
consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his
continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat
of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real..."
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003
http://www.glennbeck.com/news/01302004.shtml
'A House Divided Cannot Stand'
By U.S. Senator Zell Miller
After watching the harsh acrimony generated by the September 11 Commission -which,
let me say at the outset, is made up of good and able members - I've come to seriously question this
panel's usefulness.
I believe it will ultimately play a role in doing great harm to this country, for its unintended consequences,
I fear, will be to energize our enemies and demoralize our troops.
After being drowned in a tidal wave of all who didn't do enough before 9/11, I have come to believe
that the Commission should issue a report that says: "No one did enough in the past. No one did
near enough."
Then thank everyone for serving, send them home and let's get on with the job of protecting this
country in the future.
Tragically, these hearings have proved to be a very divisive diversion for this country. Tragically,
they have devoured valuable time, looking backwards when we should be looking forward.
Can you imagine handling the attack on Pearl Harbor this way? Can you imagine Congress, the media
and the public standing for this kind of political gamesmanship and finger pointing after that
"day of infamy" in 1941?
Some partisans tried that ploy, but they were soon quieted by the patriots who understood how important
it was to get on with the war and take the battle to America's enemies, and not dwell on what FDR
knew when.
You see, back then the highest priority was to win a war, not win an election. That's what made them
"The Greatest Generation."
I realize that many well-meaning Americans see the hearings as "democracy in action."
Years ago, when I was teaching political science, I probably would have had my class watching
it live on television and using that very phrase with them.
There are also the not-so-well-meaning political operatives who see these hearings as an opportunity
to "score cheap points."
Then, there are the Media Meddlers who see this as "great theater" that can be played out on
the evening news and on endless talk shows for a week or more.
Congressional hearings have long been one of Washington's most entertaining pastimes. Joe McCarthy,
Watergate, Iran Contra. They all kept us glued to the TV, and made for conversation around
the water coolers and arguments over a beer at the corner pub.
A Congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. is the ultimate aphrodisiac for political
groupies and partisan punks.
But, it's not the groupies, punks and television-sotted American public that I'm worried about.
This latter crowd can get excited and divided over just about anything. Whether it's some
off-key wanna-be dreaming of being the American Idol, or what brainless bimbo The Bachelor
or Average Joe will choose or who will Donald Trump fire next week.
No, it is the real enemies of America that I'm concerned about.
These evil killers who right now, right now are gleefully watching the shrill partisan finger pointing
of these hearings and grinning like a mule eating briars.
They see this as a major split within the Great Satan America. They see anger, they see division,
instability, bickering, peevishness and dissension.
They see the President of the United States hammered unmercifully. They see all this and they
are greatly, greatly encouraged.
We should not be doing anything to encourage our enemies in this battle between good and evil.
Yet, these hearings, in my opinion, are doing just that.
We are playing with fire. We're playing directly into the hands of our enemy by allowing these hearings
to become the great divider they have become.
Dick Clarke's book and its release coinciding with these hearings have done this country
a tremendous disservice, and someday we will reap its whirlwind.
Long ago, Sir Walter Scott observed that revenge is "the sweetest morsel that ever was
cooked in hell."
The vindictive Clarke has now had his revenge, but what kind of hell has he, his CBS publisher
and his axe-to-grind advocates unleashed?
These hearings, coming on the heels of the election the terrorists influenced in Spain, bolster
and energize our evil enemies as they have not been energized since 9/11.
Chances are very good that these evil enemies of America will attempt to influence our 2004
election in a similar dramatic way as they did Spain's. And to think that could never be in
this country is to stick your head in the sand.
That is why the sooner we stop this endless bickering over the past and join together to prepare
for the future, the better off this country will be. There are some things - whether this city
believes it or not - that are just more important than political campaigns.
The recent past is so ripe for political second-guessing "gotcha" and Monday morning quarter-backing
And it is so tempting in an election year. We should not allow ourselves to indulge that temptation.
We should put our country first.
Every administration from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush bears some of the blame. Dick Clarke
bears a big heap of it because it was he who was in the catbird's seat to do something about it
for more than a decade. Tragically, it was the decade in which we did the least.
We did nothing after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center
in 1993, killing six and injuring more than 1,000 Americans.
We did nothing in 1996 when sixteen U.S. servicemen were killed in the bombing of the
Khobar Towers.
When our embassies were attacked in 1998, killing 263 people, our only response was to fire
a few missiles on an empty tent.
Is it any wonder? Is it any wonder that after that decade of weak-willed responses to that
murderous terror, our enemies thought we would never fight back?
In the 1990's is when Dick Clarke should have resigned. In the 1990's is when he should
have apologized. That is when he should have written his book. That is, if he really had America's
best interest at heart.
Some will say, "We owe it to the families" to get more information about what happened
in the past and I can understand that. But no amount of finger-pointing will bring our victims back.
So, now we owe it to future families and all of America now in jeopardy not to encourage more
terrorists, resulting in even more grieving families, perhaps many more over the ones of 9/11.
It's obvious to me that this country is rapidly dividing itself into two camps: the wimps and
the warriors.
The ones who want to argue and assess and appease, and the ones who want to carry
this fight to our enemies and kill them before they kill us. And, in case you haven't figured it out,
I proudly belong to the latter.
This is a time like no other in the history of this country, and this country is being crippled with
petty partisan politics of the worst possible kind. In time of war, it is not just unpatriotic; it is
stupid, and it is criminal.
So, I pray that all this time, all this energy, all this talk and all this attention could be
focused on the future instead of the past.
I pray we would stop pointing fingers, assigning blame and wringing our hands about what
happened on that day David McCullogh has called "the worst day in our history" more than
two years ago
And instead, pour all of our energy into how we can kill these terrorists before they kill us - again.
For make no mistake about it. They watch these hearings. They are scheming and smiling
about the distraction and the divisiveness they see in America. And while they may not know who said it years ago in America,
they know instinctively that a house divided cannot stand.
There is one other group that we should remember is listening to all of this - our troops.
I was in Iraq in January and one day when I was meeting with the 1st Armored Division, a
unit with a proud history known as Old Ironsides, we were
discussing troop morale, and the Commanding General said it was top notch.
And I turned to the Division's Sergeant Major, the top enlisted man in the division, a big, burly,
6-foot-3, 240 pound African American and I said, "That's good, but how do you sustain that kind
of morale?" Without hesitation he narrowed his eyes, and he looked at me and said "The
morale will stay high just as long as these troops know the people back home support us."
Just as long as the people back home support us. What kind of message are these hearings and
the outrageously political speeches on the floor of the Senate yesterday sending to those
marvelous young Americans in the uniform of our country?
I say Unite America! Before it is too late! Put aside these petty partisan differences when it
comes to the protection of our people.
Argue and argue and argue and debate and debate and debate over all the other things - jobs
and education and the deficit and the environment - but please, please do not use the lives
of Americans and the security of this country
From Remarks Delivered on the Senate Floor March 30, 2004
http://www.pvbr.com/Issue_1/edit.htm
Well said, Mr. Miller. Well said indeed.
__________________
I think the best possible way to show Iran that nuclear weapons are not what they want is to give them one. - Steven Colbert
Last edited by Trenchant_Troll on 04-26-2004 at 11:27 PM
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