Why aren't the Democrats in Congress making this distinction?

[AndyA]

I'm sick and tired of hearing the right wing toss out repeatedly that "the Democrats voted for the war in Iraq too..."

While this may be true, it's misleading. It's my understanding that the Authorization to Use Military Force wasn't in and of itself the thing that led to the war; it simply gave pResident Bush the ability to initiate war if he decided that was something that must be done. So, ultimately, the responsibility for the war falls back on Bush and the GOP.

And the fact is, Congress was LIED TO by Bush and his administration. They voted based on the information they had at the time, which should have been accurate, dependable, and from a source deemed trustworthy. We now know that this was not the case.

I think the Democrats need to insert this into EVERY discussion regarding the war, ending it, funding it, surging the troops, etc. It's important to continue to point out that this was not a war that HAD to be fought. The was no clear and present danger from Iraq. No WMDs. No aiding and abetting of terrorists.

The war in Iraq was based on lies from the Bush Administration, and as such every day our troops are over there is another day they are there based on lies.

Why is it that Bush/Cheney aren't being impeached again?

[BOSSHOG]

1. Another jerkoff conservative conundrum

I've discovered recently that bush backers get all pissy when Iraq is referred to as "bush's war." Why is that? Don't they want endless war around the globe? Conservatives love death, destruction and despair? Would they not be proud to have their great hero, drug addict and military deserter have a war named after him? So why give credit to the evil liberal democrats? Conservatives are fucking idiots, high maintenance idiots who don't deserve their constitutional liberties. I was verbally berated in 2002 by dumbfuck conservatives for saying what I'm saying today; had my patriotism questioned. As usual the liberal voice was right once again, just like saying the earth revolves around the sun.

[TahitiNut]

2. Anyone who didn't see it coming with the IWR is deliberately blind, stupid, or both.

I said it then and I say it again - that was an abomination.

[pnwmom]

3. Even if they saw it, they couldn't have stopped it by voting no on the IWR.

If the Democrats had voted en masse in October 2002 against the IWR (when it was already clear that both Houses of Congress were about to go with the Republicans in the Nov. election), that IWR would have been defeated. But all Bush would have had to do was wait till January -- when he would get a blank check from the new Republican majority. And the Bush version of a war resolution -- the version he had asked for but the Democrats had vetoed -- would have allowed him to attack virtually anywhere, according to Chuck Hagel. Except for the wording of the IWR that WAS passed, we'd probably already be in Iran.