05/04/2006
The White House Easter Egg Roll had a surprise guest.
Supporters of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts are back in front of the Supreme Judicial Court attempting to block an amendment banning future gay marriages: "Supporters say the state constitution bars any citizen-initiated amendment that seeks to reverse a judicial ruling."
CIA veteran calls out Donald Rumsfeld on lies about WMD.
Posted 4:24 PM EST by Andy Towle in Elsewhere | Permalink
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atta boy, McGovern! Now speak tooth ta' powah' about these "lies":
“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
“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
LIARS!
Posted by: Tom | May 4, 2006 4:58:04 PM
When will the LIES end?
— Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, during a press conference last week, said "Many months before (the) Iraqi action, I met (the) predecessor of (chief U.N. weapons inspector) Hans Blix in Warsaw. . . . He told me (a) very important thing: that Saddam had these weapons or is ready to produce these weapons. Because to have such (an) impression that he has mass destruction weapons is a part of his doctrine, to keep . . . power in Iraq and to be strong in the region. So I think it's very difficult today to judge how it was when he . . . decided to continue this project of mass destruction weapons. . . . Absolutely, Iraq is ready to produce if it's necessary to keep the power of and dictatorship of Saddam and to play such (an) important role in the region."
— In October 2003, months after the Iraq war began, former President Bill Clinton visited Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso. Durao Barroso said, "When Clinton was here recently he told me he was absolutely convinced, given his years in the White House and the access to privileged information which he had, that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction until the end of the Saddam regime."
— French President Jacques Chirac, in February 2003, spoke about "the probable possession of weapons of mass destruction by an uncontrollable country, Iraq," noting "the international community is right . . . in having decided that Iraq should be disarmed."
— Former Clinton CIA director R. James Woolsey, in a Wall Street Journal article, made several points — that Saddam possibly intentionally misled the world into thinking he still possessed WMD to keep his status as a power player in the region; that stockpiles of WMD possibly remained only to be destroyed at the last minute; that WMD-related material "probably" entered Syria months before the war; that Iraq admitted making 8,500 liters (8.5 tons) of anthrax, which if reduced to powder, could fill a dozen easily portable suitcases; and that "Iraq's ties with terrorist groups in the '90s are clear," with a decade worth of connections between Iraq and al Qaeda, "including training in poisons, gases, and explosives."
— Weapons hunter David Kay, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that based on the pre-war intelligence, Saddam Hussein posed "a gathering, serious threat to the world." Hussein's scientists possibly misled the former dictator into believing Iraq possessed WMD, with the scientists possibly misappropriating funds. Kay also said that, based on his investigation, Iraq posed an even greater danger than previously thought.
— Former President Bill Clinton on Dec. 16, 1998, stated, "Other countries possess weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there is one big difference: He has used them. Not once, but repeatedly. Unleashing chemical weapons against Iranian troops during a decade-long war. Not only against soldiers, but against civilians, firing Scud missiles at the citizens of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran. And not only against a foreign enemy, but even against his own people, gassing Kurdish civilians in Northern Iraq. . . . I have no doubt today, that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again. . . . "
— Former President Clinton, in an appearance on "Larry King Live" on July 22, 2003, said, " . . . (I)t is incontestable that on the day I left office, there were unaccounted for stocks of biological and chemical weapons. We might have destroyed them in '98. We tried to, but we sure as heck didn't know it because we never got to go back there."
Posted by: Tom | May 4, 2006 5:03:31 PM
Hmmm...somehow, with Clinton as President, we were able to stay out of a war that would break the army, destroy the economy and enrich Halliburton.
Somehow, Clinton was smart enough not to go in like a NUT and make an unneeded war against the WRONG people....
If you are so goddam good at knowing what Clinton said, how about his warning Duhhhbya in early 2000 that Osama Bin Ladin was the most urgent threat to the US? And what did Bush do about that? What has he done about that since 9/11?
Nothing but profiteer.
All the shrill Clinton-hate, just to protect the village idiot who sent all our precious sons and daughters to die protecting the mercenaries and contractors. What a shame.
And to think, you and Bush LAUGHED at the press dinner over never finding WMDs.
For shame. But that's a word you don't know. Stop with the Clinton hate and try to take responsibility for your own dumbness.
Posted by: Brian NYC | May 4, 2006 5:38:23 PM
Right, you can't believe what Clinton says anyway.
Posted by: James | May 4, 2006 7:06:42 PM
I suprised the rightwingers haven't been talking about Clinton more since that's what they do whenever Bush is in trouble. Too bad Clinton isn't president anymore. This will change soon too.
Posted by: Chad Hanging | May 4, 2006 7:58:33 PM
I love how desperate repugs always try and change them subject when they're in trouble. Call them liars and they'll try and dig through your dirt to find something on you. It's actually pretty reprehensible and shows a lack of morale accountability. The same failure of ethics that have cause Bush to sink to 32% even among his own party. Rumsfeld lies nearly everytime I see him and like this administration it's not just saying No when he really means Yes. It's a deep seeded dishonesty that you can find him, Rice, McClelland etc doing at any press conference or Sunday morning talk show.
Remember when Russert asked Rumsfeld if he knew where the WMD were because they had been in iraq and none had been found and he said, "Well yes, they're around Tikrit to the north, the south, the west and the east."
These are deep, dark liars and while the nervous and morally bankrupt repugs try and distract us with pre-9/11 thinking by mentioning a man who hasn't been in office in 6 years just rememeber; it wasn't congress, the senate, Clinton, repugs or dems that made the decision to invade Iraq. It was George Bush.
Posted by: Chad Hanging | May 4, 2006 8:21:19 PM
Oh hah. I just noticed the story I told is the one referenced in the article. lol
Posted by: Chad Hanging | May 4, 2006 8:28:13 PM
Tom must have missed the part when Rummy got called out and had his own quote read and started stuttering like a fool. I suggest he watch it again.
Perhaps he also missed numerous reports that the Office of Special Plans (that Rummy again) kept sending the CIA back to cook their reports when evidence of WMDs couldn't be found.
Anyone who still believes no WMDs was an just a doggone honest mistake should see a doctor about pulling their head out of their ass.
Posted by: Marco | May 4, 2006 9:03:41 PM
Oddly enough, I saw the Fox news report on this press conference, and they only showed the man asking his original question and Rumsfeld replying that he didn't lie, followed by applause. Funny, that.
Posted by: burnssuit | May 5, 2006 1:27:54 AM
So everything is Clinton's fault? Tom you really need some help if that's what you believe.
I agree with Brian NYC, Clinton may very well have said these things, but he never took us to war, the country was in great shape, and the ONLY scandal going on was because he got a blow job in the oval office. I'd say things are very different since Bush Jr. took office. What would you say Tom? Actually, it doesn't look like Tom has too much to say anyway... he's great at putting someone's else's words together but can he think for himself and form his own opinion? It doesn't appear that's the case, which makes him a lot like his hero Bush Jr.
Clinton will be remembered as a great President, in fact he's still more popular than Bush is, but Bush will be remembered as the man who took us to war in Iraq and let Osama Bin Laden get away. Spin it any way you want, but that's what's happened.
Posted by: Wayne | May 5, 2006 8:15:31 AM
Chad,
What? You think Clinton will be president again? Nahhh. Al Gore is apparently waiting to see how his movie will do before deciding whether to launch his campaign.
~
Posted by: Gilli | May 5, 2006 8:54:12 AM
I didn't mean THAT Clinton.
:)
Posted by: Chad Hanging | May 5, 2006 6:58:17 PM