WHEN was the Road to the Iraq War ever 'litigated' in the Congress?

[blm]

It has been bothering me for a while now that the phrase 'let's not re-litigate HOW we got into Iraq' has popped up more than a few times in the last 6 moonths, especially since Dems won the majority.

I don't recall any legal action that examined how BushInc lied us into Iraq - do you?

And if we never litigated it in the first place, how can it be 're-litigated' in their minds? Surely these lawmakers understand the term better than many of us.

It actually reminded me of James Baker complaining that we had the count, and then a recount, and then another recount REPEATEDLY at a time when some of the Florida counties had never had an official recount at all.

It strikes me as a deliberate framing to force the Dems to move past an investigation....except it's coming from other Democrats.

Anyone else bothered by this current framing?

Or....Is the word re-litigated being used here in a way that actually makes sense that I may not be noticing?

[babylonsister]

1. Weird you bring this up today, as I just got finished listening to

a r/w nut job on the radio (Chris Baker, I think) who framed it just that way, too. "Let's not rehash the past, what's done is done." I obviously didn't agree and could feel my blood pressure rising.
What Dems are saying this? IMO it all has to be examined and investigated.

[blm]

2. Obama offered it up last night on LKL, and he had said it previously on LKL

after the ISG report came out.

>>>
First of all, do you agree with the vice president?

OBAMA: I think it is hard not to make the assessment that this has been a misconceived mission from the start, not just in execution, but in conception. In fact, actually, the military has performed brilliantly. The problem was the way we conceived the mission was based on ideology. It was not based on facts on the ground.

But the fact is, is that what I'm not interested in doing is re- litigating the decision to get in. I think that what the Iraq Study Group provides us an opportunity to do is to start looking forward on a bipartisan basis, to try to figure out how can we make the best of a bad situation?

It is still possible for us to arrive at a situation in which there is stability in Iraq, that it has not become a nest of terrorist activity .....

>>>>>>>>

Point being, WHY does he feel the need to emphasize this? First off, it's not TRUE, and second off, WHY on earth isn't he interested in SUNSHINE on executive decisions that cost LIVES? It just seems so out of character considering his original position was anti-war. His language here is so Clinton-like, and moving on and not upsetting Republicans with investigations certainly didn't serve Clinton's legacy and the country's best interest in the long run, did it?

And this isn't exclusive to Obama - other Democrats have said it, too, over the last 6 months, it's just that Obama said it last night and it struck me as a very odd thing to offer since it wasn't part of the answer to LK's question.

[babylonsister]

3. Thanks, blm. Seems he's trying to be all things to all people; getting

his campaign off to an early start? I just hope he doesn't lose those values that make him so attractive in the process. I know the elder statesmen are very interested in the truth behind what got us into this mess in the first place.

[blm]

6. It sounds very Clintonish - moving on from crimes against the constitution is NEVER

a good idea.

[CTyankee]

4. I think "litigate" the verb is being used here in place of "argued"

but given the former term to imply some sort of government sanction. It is a misnomer in my opinion. To me, "litigate" truly means to try in a court of law, not merely to argue in a public arena, the Congress or whatever. Call me a purist, I guess!

[blm]

5. I don't recall any official arguement, either. It seems they word it that way to try to

fool the public into thinking it's a settled issue and no new light can be shed on it - like I said, just as James Baker did during the recount.

[CTyankee]

7. They probably mean "prosecute" which can be used in place of

"pursue" with or without a legal proceeding. "Litigate" however does carry the meaning of a legal proceeding. At least according to my dictionary.

[blm]

8. And therein lies the problem for me with ANY Democrat publically saying the

lead up to the Iraq war should not be investigated by a Dem congress because it had already been officially, legally examined and settled.

[blm]

9. Kick - - for any answers I might be missing.

.