Gah! Senator Tom Daschle reached new heights of partisan disingenuousness yesterday with this remark:
"I'm saddened, saddened that this president failed so miserably at diplomacy that we're now forced to war," Daschle said in a speech to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "Saddened that we have to give up one life because this president couldn't create the kind of diplomatic effort that was so critical for our country."
In 1998, Senator Tom Daschle,the Senate Majority Leader, lobbied for a Congressional resolution to take "all necessary measures" to respond to the Iraqi threat. At the time, a large number of U.S. allies opposed any U.S. military action. Daschle responded to questions about the need for action this way: "Look, we have exhausted, virtually, our diplomatic effort to get the Iraqis to comply with their own agreements and with international law. Given that, what other option is there but to force them to do so?"
dook...dook...dook.
The Iraq Liberation Act cited Public Law 105-235 of August 14, 1998, which had declared the Baghdad regime was "in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations," and urged President Clinton "to take appropriate action, in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws of the United States, to bring Iraq into compliance with its international obligations."
The Iraq Liberation Act said once Saddam Hussein was removed from power, the United States "should support Iraq's transition to democracy."
The Act had strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, then controlled by Republicans. Republicans backed the bill by a 202-9 margin with 16 not voting. Democrats lined up behind the bill 157-29, with 20 not voting, and the House's sole Independent voted for H.R. 4655.
The Senate passed the Iraq Liberation Act by unanimous consent, a Senate bill with the same language had been co-sponsored by six Republicans and two Democrats, including Senator Joseph Lieberman (Democrat of Connecticut) and then Senator John Ashcroft (Republican of Missouri), the current Attorney General.
In the House, those backing the bill included House Minority Leader Representative Richard Gephardt (Democrat of Missouri), Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (Republican of Illinois), Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (Democrat of Texas who spoke at the March 15th anti-war rally in SF) and Representative Constance Morella (Republican of Maryland).
What part of Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House) don't the Democrats get? Did they not read it?
Senators Dashle, Kerry and Dodd obviously feel that Americans are too stupid to retain information for more than five minutes. Apparently they also do not realize it takes only minutes to Google up dozens of instances of their support for regime change and military action in 1998, without UN or Ally support aka "going it alone".
Slate has a 2004 Democratic presidential candidate scorecard on their positions on Iraq. Kerry must have shares in IHOP.
We shall see just how dumb the voters are very soon.
UPDATE: Viking Punditworks up a Daschle meme:
"...Tom Daschle. Once, he could have been President. Now, he's a shadow of a man-child, grasping for the talking points of the day which are always centered around his deep disappointment, his profound regret, his endless hand-wringing, his troubled troublement at the President's policies. Woe, woe is Tom Daschle,..." (via Brian Chapin)