US lawmakers regret voting for Iraq war(Republican wants apology from Bush)

Wonder how many will have a sincere change of heart?

And hilary and LIEberman and bidet or whatever his name is. And the other DINO trash.

and I didn't trash them or call them "DINO trash" for supporting Bush's war (though I didn't agree with them), just like most members of the House/Senate did at the time.

Did you and the original poster vote for Kerry/Edwards?

Bidet is a French toilet. :) How fitting, though.

every time i see him now i'll remember that... damn, that's hilarious!

you should send that to Randi or Bartcop.

"I like you- you're The Real Deal!" Senator Joe Bidet (Dino- DE)

:rofl:

doesn't mean you can't be anti-DINO either. That doesn't make someone a freeper.

To tell you the truth, my sentiments toward all of the DEMS who voted to invade Iraq aren't that far from the above posts.

Besides, I supported Kerry/Edwards fully. Would I ever support Kerry again? Not unless I had no other choice.

It was meant for Hardrada and made from several other remarks that had been made in the past from said poster. Perhaps I've misread?

My sentiments are also NOT in favor of any democratic senator that voted for the Iraq war and still holds support of the war.

I'm not exactly happy with the party these days and the influx of very subtle right wing posters. It may be conceivably that I'm a bit over sensitive these days?

I apologize.

I voted for Kerry whilst holding my nose and thinking "This is the best we have to run against GW?". The guy was a wuss on campaign, and gave up within hours of the election. The Democratic party is a waste right now and I don't see much change coming anytime soon. Don't ladle out that "Freeper" labeling crap because we choose to make up our own minds instead of following some DU pack mentality. Hey, remember when Kerry was asked if he would vote for a war against Iraq even if he knew then what he knew now and he said "Yes I would"? Sometimes I read these threads and don't see that much difference from the Freeper threads that get made fun of here.

Let's look at the number of Dems who voted for the Patriot Act, who voted for the Moral Bankruptcy Bill, who continually try to move farther right in anticipation of 2006, who voted yes for Rice or Gonzalez. Maybe they should be following the directions to FR Street instead of posing as the opposition party. Meanwhile, I continue to think and act for myself regardless of your desire for us all to fall in line.

0h, and welcome to Democraticunderground. Since you don't know me I hope you stay long enough to find out. Please read my post to "Did you ever wonder" #107 - All I can say is, that I find your ignorance not very becoming for such an elegant post.

You've been here for what two months? Duh!

I tend to react before research. But please, don't base "being around" on membership time (signup or contribution) or number of posts. Most of the time I don't have time and when I do, I can't read everything. If I waited until I read everything available before I posted, this post or any previous would never exist. I still reserve the right to over-react, but expect to be properly put in my place.

I'd stick to what I really know, but there ain't much scientific or engineering stuff out here on DU, despite the fact that much going on in those communities has been hijacked by the "powers that be". The last time I commented on the real reasons for the push for hydrogen cars, I had no takers. I'm left to discuss rehashed items.

go through the garbage fairly fast. If you care to venture you'll find find much scientific and like minds.

There is a mentality that comes on board every time energy is discussed, especially when referring to fuel cells. I can appreciate your concern, because for the last three years each time a thread is started the same characters come out of the woodwork and start their assassination with innumerable links to prove their point. Guess what? The majority is overwhelmed and gives up.

I know deep down the answer is somewhere to our problems, and it is only a matter of time before we'll find it or we destroy ourselves in the process.

BRAVO!

...who does he blame for the "bad information," Bush and Co., or the poor bastard worker bees?

honerable repukes?!?!?!

Has the temp in Hell gotten a little cooler?!?!

I am SHOCKED - REALLY - I tell you!

No sarcasm intended.

matter what. You would have to be truly stupid to have fallen for their flimsy lies. The CIA was very upfront about saying they didn't have any proof of WMD. It was in the papers several times before they voted and it was presented to them in Congress. They knew. They're just trying to protect their treasonous asses now.

there was so much doubt going into DimShit's fiasco that people tend to forget...

I watched the asshole almost nightly as he tied OBL to Saddam using propaganda methods that would have Goebbels proud...

Never, ever trust a republican.

nice to see there's at least one Republican with the courage to admit that Bushco made a fool of him.

to him. Use this link to write to all of them:

https://ssl.capwiz.com/congressorg/mail/gateway/s1103774791/

**sigh**

clothes and appropriately funereal bearing who could actually say what he meant in 500 words or less. The election wouldn't have been close enough to steal.

too bad this guy will soon be "spending more time with family"

and why the hell is this not in a AP/Reuters article? :grr:

~snip~

The administration has seen its main justification for war evaporate, however, most recently when a presidential commission found that US intelligence agencies were "dead wrong" in saying Iraq had illegal weapons.


That failure doesn't play well in Jones's rural, conservative North Carolina district, he said. The state went strongly for Bush last year and includes the giant Camp Lejeune Marine base, a major source of troops for Iraq.


It's a constituency Bush, also a Republican, can ill afford to lose as he tries to keep his options open for dealing with the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea amid Democratic opposition to some of his policies.


The weapons issue has eroded support for Bush on Iraq nationwide, according to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

don't assume it went Repug.

and I worked for Kerry and the Dem. party here. I have no doubt it was stolen. I also believe the 2002 Dole election was stolen. I happen to have to vote on touchscreens in Guilford county. Ballotless of course... :grr:

I have seen you on the NC VV forums and admire your posts and drive. This is a tough rode to hoe when the Democrats in this state seem clueless to it.

And Gilbert in Guilford County has to go! What an enabler. I wonder if he gets kickbacks like that gal in GA?

I was so steamed I blocked her name out of my memory. She and Ken Blackwell must have graduated from the same SoS school of ignore the voters rights.

I think NC will remain a 'red' state regardless of what bu$hit does or hwo badly he fails. What could bu$h ever do to lose the support of NC'lineans. Don't think it'll ever happen, but dammit this ought to be on the front pages!!

... in Jones's district over the recess. :evilgrin:

I had to search like hell to find this story with a truthful headline.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050408/wl_mideast_afp/usiraqcost&cid=1514&ncid=1473

You have given the news article Good news from Iraq overshadows hidden cost of war for Bush a rating of 5.

Its current average rating is 4.03 with 72 votes.

The identical story...even though I expect it, I am still shocked.

due to the hearing at House Armed Services with Wes Clark vs Perle.

Their testimony was also given before the war, which Clark opposed.

The hearing this week showed Wes was right, & he trashed Perle.

Except for the Chair, Duncan Hunter, no one disagreed with Wes this time.

As he said, "Let the record stand for itself."

...elections next year.

Don

You got it!

I read today on Yahoo News that you've been personally writing condolence
letters to the loved ones of all the 1,500 servicepeople killed as they
attempted to follow their commander-in-chief's orders. Thank you for your
inspiring efforts. A woman from just down the road a way was killed as she
was attempting to disarm a mine in Iraq, and we are going to miss all these
fine young people, the future of our country gone for no good reason.

I have been suspicious of the logic and therefore opposed to this war from
the very beginning, yet I have been sad, as you have been, to learn how this
administration lied and dissembled to involve us in all this pointless death
and destruction far from home.

I worry that the tax and budget policies of this administration will bring
further grief to the thousands of servicepeople who've been so severely
disabled. Tax cuts for the rich in a time of war are something new in
American history, and we won't have money left to sustain those injured
veterans as they try to reestablish their lives in a poor economy.

Again, thanks for being concerned about us ordinary citizens.

who testified before the war that it was the wrong decision, back when it was not a popular position.

Lots of people we know supported the war because it was politically expedient.

Now, he's saying the exact same thing as he did before. And the hearing broke this story open.

If the media wasn't so obsessed woth the Pope's death, more people might have heard about it.

to atone for his sins. Put his money where his mouth is.

...the failure in Iraq would have been all of us Dem's fault for not being patriotic enough and not supporting the troops. The MSN would have even had us believing that was the case. Thats just the way things work.

Don

would start expressing their regrets.


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.15010804

Cause you OWE an apology for your vote as well......and there are millions of other people ahead of you in line who deserve an apology more than you do

Great Washington Post Article

Same Committee, Same Combatants, Different Tune
By Dana Milbank

Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. is a conservative Republican from North Carolina who voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq. So it jarred all the more yesterday when Jones turned his fury on Richard N. Perle, the Pentagon adviser who provided the Bush administration with brainpower for the Iraq war.

Jones, who said he has signed more than 900 condolence letters to kin of fallen soldiers, pronounced himself "incensed" with Perle. "It is just amazing to me how we as a Congress were told we had to remove this man . . . but the reason we were given was not accurate," Jones told Perle at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. Jones said the administration should "apologize for the misinformation that was given. To me there should be somebody who is large enough to say 'We've made a mistake.' I've not heard that yet."


Listen to entire Committee hearing here

more from the Washington Post piece:

In retrospect, Clark's forecasts proved more accurate than Perle's, and even Republicans on the committee made little effort yesterday to defend Perle or to undermine Clark. The exception was Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), who pressed Clark to acknowledge that the Iraq invasion should get some credit for signs of democracy in the region.

"We've got to do a lot less crowing about the sunrise," Clark rejoined.

When Hunter's GOP colleagues didn't join his line of questioning, he took another turn grilling Clark. The chairman likened President Bush's Middle East policies to those of President Ronald Reagan in Eastern Europe.

"Reagan never invaded Eastern Europe," Clark retorted.

In another try, Hunter said Clark was "overstating" the risk in challenging other countries in the Middle East. Clark smiled and showed his trump card -- reminding Hunter of their exchange at the 2002 hearing. "I kept saying time was on our side," Clark said. "I could never quite satisfy you."

As for who proved correct, the general said, "I'll let the record speak for itself."

Wes Clark kicks ass!!

(on edit: fixed link)

Doubledip attacked a soverign nation with no provocation. HE is a war criminal and should be treated as such.

These cowards in congress - they impeached a POTUS over a blowjob - but a f*cking war mistake needs an apology ?!!!

Milbank's write-up...

Same Committee, Same Combatants, Different Tune

Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. is a conservative Republican from North Carolina who voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq. So it jarred all the more yesterday when Jones turned his fury on Richard N. Perle, the Pentagon adviser who provided the Bush administration with brainpower for the Iraq war.

Jones, who said he has signed more than 900 condolence letters to kin of fallen soldiers, pronounced himself "incensed" with Perle. "It is just amazing to me how we as a Congress were told we had to remove this man . . . but the reason we were given was not accurate," Jones told Perle at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. Jones said the administration should "apologize for the misinformation that was given. To me there should be somebody who is large enough to say 'We've made a mistake.' I've not heard that yet."

.......MORE.......

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32440-2005Apr6.html

who was suckered into signing up for this immoral war should be allowed to return home if they want to. Poor guy in Portland area just completed his 8yr commitment, but somehow is now required to spend twenty plus more years in the ARMY!

Supposedly, HALF of America supports this sack of shit Administration. Surely, those wearing the W'04 and Support the Troops stickers on their SUVs will step up and sign on now. There are millions of folks out there willing to pitch in to fight terra and spread freedumb. Fucking sheeple.

Does "shows signs of success" mean the same thing as mission accomplished?

Whats the matter with that guy, what doesn't he understand about the phrase "The world is better off without Saddam." I guess if he was dumb enough to vote for it, he is too dumb to follow directions also.
Fuck the stupid bastard!

Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of Heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after....
One tin soldier rides away.


"One Tin Soldier" Lambert-Potter

"To me, there should be somebody that is large enough to say, 'We made a mistake'," Jones said,


Maybe I'm missing the point, but, um, why should * & Co. apologize? They invaded Iraq per PNAC plans, not by mistake. They intentionally demanded bogus intelligence to justify the so-called pre-emptive invasion, not by mistake.

Why should * apologize for the deaths & maiming & starvation & disease of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Americans, and many other world citizens? It wasn't a "mistake" - they did it on purpose!

I hope to live to see *, Cheney, Rove, Rice, Rummy, Wolfie & all in federal prison, for life.

Good book you might want to read, it's a little old but has some good info. Worse Than Watergate by John W. Dean

They owe "we the American people," and basically the world a HUGE APOLOGY and some...

Clinton get's caught w/a gal. IMPEACH!
Bu$HIT & CO KILL countless, lies upon lies, stealing from SS w/IOU'S, and on and on, and on and on... and an apology???

I don't think so.

Our Spirits.
Our Worldly Dignity.
Our Honor.
Our Soldiers Lives... legs, limbs, disabling so many, forever!

Divided our Country folks like "NEVER" in OUR LIFETIME!

Haliburton. Enron. Lockhead. And on and on...

It's going to take a hell of lot more then an apology from Chimp & CO.

Yet, from a Republican Congressman... well, that's one heck of a good start.

I soooo do NOT get how these armpits (I don't call 'em assholes, cuz an asshole has a purpose) can look anyone in the eye. They go stark raving loony over a man's private sex life, but sit around for over two years, watch thousands die, and then they want an apology?

Apology this.

Tar? Feathers? Slow ice floe toward the North Pole?

and ask for an apology first? Why did the Republicans beat them to the punch...again? Perhaps some top notch Dems were too busy trying to sound hawkish for future re-election prospects at a time when they had the capital to be critical of this administration?

politically radioactive, all the pro-war, pro-death GOP christians are gonna pretend they didn't want it?

No way. The will find someone else to blame it on, but they will never admit it was their mistake.

"To me, there should be somebody that is large enough to say, 'We made a mistake'," Jones said, almost in tears with frustration. He said he and other lawmakers want to ensure they are never again asked to authorize a war with bad information.

Hey, Congressman Jones? Can I let you in on a little secret? Come closer...

Next time you're asked to authorize a war on the basis of someone's information, VALIDATE THE FUCKING INFORMATION BEFORE YOU COMMIT OUR PRECIOUS TROOPS TO BE FED INTO THE IRAQI MEAT GRINDER.

And re-read the Constitution - only you, Congress, can declare whether or not America goes to war.

I can't have too much sympathy for you, man. We're in Iraq because you fucking fell asleep at the switch. At least now you're waking up.

I was mentioning above. They have a lot of apologizing to do since they supposedly were on the side of the people who are sent to do the fighting.

Lieberman's agenda is ALL about Israel's interests - and nothing else...Saddam was never a threat to us, but perhaps to Israel...This man, and all of his Likkudite friends who are so prevalent in this administration, are the REAL reason why this war happenned in the first place...

ME - Anti Semitic - NO

ME - Anti Zionist - like any other fundamentalist of any sorts - YES

And now I will watch the flame begin...

any other way so, in essence, I agree.

Give thanks and praise to jah for making them so incompetent.

Lieberman has proved over and over again that he supports PNAC, particularly where it benefits Israel. I don't think there is a consensus to spill U.S. blood and money on their expansionist dreams, although that result is being realized through the use of terra terra terra, WMD WMD WMD subterfuge.

We're not "CLOSE-MINDED." We as Democrats believe "FIRMLY" that we're all entitled to our own opinions.

Let's not flame. We can agree to disagree and work together.

Republicans (lately) are blinded by their own greeds, w/a few Dem's in there, too, admittedly. But if we're to regain back our country we must all live together, democratically. Right.

:hi:

it might very well be and from what I hear it may be on the base closing list. The base is in Goldsboro NC--eastern part of state.
If you will remember, Walter B Jones Jr was a democrat years ago and changed parties to run against Martin Lancaster. Jones' father was a strong democratic congressman for many years from eastern NC.

The only way this bastard would apologize for anything is if it's politically expedient for him and him alone.
There has been too much blood shed in Bush's war for apologies. It's not up to me to forgive him, anyway. It's the untold family members, friends and relatives of those who died in his illegal war of pure, unadulterated greed.
A start toward healing in this nation and to regain some semblence of credibility in the world again is for Bush, Cheney, Rove and Wolfowitz to be imprisoned for the rest of their lives for their crimes. Then, we'll get some honest auditors to track down the 9 or 10 billion dollars missing in Iraq and send those responsible to prison while Halliburton repays what it's stolen from the US taxpayers.
(I hope you read this, Bush....you arrogant, pissant.)

down. Bush is a child who will never hold himself accountable. He's a spoiled elitist brat who never learned that lesson.

and is getting nervous about 2006. But does he really think asking for an apology will make people forget how he voted?

If they're starting to turn on Bush, it can only be a good thing for us.

where wellstone's ended up. (no disrespect meant to wellstone). just pointing out what the bushes like to do to those who disagree with them.

They were just swept up along with the tide and were all gung-ho. Show them no mercy at the polls.

who voted for the war?

In order to apologize Bush would have to admit he deliberately did something wrong (zero chance) or admit he made a mistake (slim chace at best: just recall that press conference question regarding mistakes). Plus this reminds me of my mother chiding me by saying "Its too late now!" after pointing out that I had thoughtlessly forgotten to apologize for some childhood misbehavior. An "I'm sorry." isn't going cut it here, too many people needlessly suffered.

As I remember it, Congress kind of abdicated their responsibilities and gave the president authority to go into Iraq essentially without Congress's express consent/authorization as is required by the Constitution of the United States of America.

Is Walter Jones now regretting abdicating his power, the power of Congress, and his responsibility to the Constitution?

That Congress abdicated their powers so quickly to DimSon...

Kind of reminiscent of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, don't you think...

For the record MIHOP here...

May all these lying bastards fry in hell forever...Perle, J. Bush, GW Bush, Wolfowitz, Feith, Rumsfeld, Chaney, Kristol, Novak, Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Coulter, Horowitz, Beck, Quinn...

Reserve a special place for ALan Greenspan, who sold his soul to the devil as well...

(this is a rhetorical question, so don't feel compelled to reply, but please do if you can).

Why did they do it? It wasn't just one or two, but MOST! I personally can't imagine any impetus so strong that would make all of these members do this. That's what's pretty frightening about it all, imho.

To do anything else would be unpatriotic...so they thought at the time...

That's why it is SO important to NOT let the repukes take the nuclear option...

Especially since their actions in this regard affect the THIRD
(and last branch) of the government...

Gulf of Tonkin, 9/11 - smells the same to me...

Amazing that this admin claims the black boxes in the planes which struck the towers were not found (in spite of 2 Philadelphia fellows who claim to have found them) while Mohammed Atta's passport floated to the ground...simply amazing, I tell ya...

Just fucking amazing...

other corporations that gave so much to their election campaigns.
The hole thing was pay back for a lot of republican and a few Democrats who owe them favors for the thousands of dollars they have gotten for political campaigns.

Reid, who voted in October 2002 to authorize President Bush to go to war in Iraq, said the trip made him more convinced the United States must maintain its presence in Iraq until the country is stable. That will require improvement in Iraq's economy, security, politics and reconstruction, Reid said.

"If we do (leave), the terrorists will have won," Reid said.

But Reid added U.S. troops cannot become an occupying force.

"I told the Iraqis every chance I got, `We don't want your oil,' " Reid said.

Reid said he met with Nevada troops from the 1864th Transportation Co., an Army National Guard Unit based in Henderson.

"A lot of troops from Nevada aren't kids. They're white-haired men," Reid said.

Although morale is high, Reid said he will have several phone calls to make to wives and mothers of the soldiers when he returns.

"There are a lot of young men who are very lonely. They want to get home," he said.

more...

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Mar-23-Wed-2005/news/26135786.html

or bad people. i want ALL of them to ask our forgiveness for allowing our country to be controlled by an evil crime empire, and for not acting to impeach this imposter and his band of treasury-rapers.

voted for the war. Ah man, cut me freaking break. This is just the beginning of all those Bozos' trying to cover their assess for not doing their jobs. All they did was get in line to kiss the little turds butt and march lock-step to the neo-con drum beat to war. Let the cleansing begin.

The hindsight defense, IMHO, is pure crap!

I was impressed. Perle, in his creepy voice, could only answer, "I really don't understand why you're incensed..." and that the admin had been fooled by "Iraqi double-agents" (who for some reason must have wanted the US to attack:eyes:) Fool me once... I sense a growing anger with the neo-cons among the "paleo-cons", the real conservatives.

I was also impressed by Richard Clark's testimony. He comes across as very intelligent and knowledgeable, and he made Perle sound like an idiot of course. I'm still slightly sceptical to him due to his role in the war on Serbia and certain war crimes committed by the NATO forces under his command, but he may be the best card the Democrats have at the moment. I can easily see him winning in 08 if the Repugs nominate someone creepy like Jeb or DeLay. He's got some of the "strong leader" charisma that the otherwise decent candidates Kerry and Dean perhaps lacked. Plus, he doesn't have the handicap of having voted for the war, instead he opposed it, so unlike Kerry he can say "I told you so".

I think he's our best chance and was first drawn to him when he was speaking out against the War before it started. As I learned more about him, I liked him more and more. He certainly doesn't pull any punches....May I suggest you read Samantha Power's book "A Problem From Hell - America and the Age of Genocide" for some more info on Clark's role in the Kosovo thing?

Thanks!

I always confuse his name with the former counterterrorism czar.

Thanks for the book recommendation, I'll look for it.

Yes, you're not the only one to do that. I've seen a lot of people spell Clark's name with an "e" also.

Anyway, if you want to read Clark's thoughts on the Kosovo operation, he's detailed them at length in his first book "Waging Modern War". I imagine you can pick up both this book and the Samantha Power book at your local library, if you're so inclined.

now if we can only get some more like this guy!

how come *I* (WE) had more info than HE did?

how come WE were right and HE was "wrong"?

fuck him. rot in hell

This guy wins both ways with a comment like this. He's not blaming Bush, he's blaming the intelligence. Which supports their ridiculous point of view that it wasn't any Republicans fault. It was the fault of the intelligence agencies. Also, he wins support from us because it makes him look anti-war.

I'm not buying it.

It was Bush's/Cheney's/Rummies/Rice's fault, and they deserve to pay for it.

He did blame the administration, and Perle in particular. He said he was "incensed" at Perle. He demanded an apology from the admin; or so I understood. Of course they shouldn't just apologize but resign. There's an audio link in one of the other replies, I listened to it and he sounded sincere to me. But I may of course be wrong.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

BS

got much of their information from the CIA....but they can't admit it. What were the 20 other reasons?? Israel has ignored more UN resolutions than Iraq so that argument is weak. Kuwait got 25% of Iraqi oil money for reparations...where did that money end up? The US knew Iraq was swapping oil. By the way, what news source do you listen to or read?

Cuz them ain't murkan!

An audio clip is provided in one of the replies above, please listen to it if you'd be bothered. I suppose some foreigners may have falsified the audio clip of course. There is also a link to a Washington Post article provided in several of the above replies, but I cannot 100% guarantee that some foreigners have not infiltrated the Washington Post in order to print lies. You never know, do you.

Your president and his administration lied through their teeth to get the war they desired. Suckers like you bought their bullshit hook, line and sinker. It is understandable that you did, if you only got your news from mainstream American sources. Today, however, that excuse is starting to wear thin. The mendacious nature of this administration is evident to anyone who cares to see it. It is high time to wake up and smell the proverbial coffee.

UN weapons inspectors, led by Hans Blix, strongly doubted that Iraq had any WMD. That was the best intel that was available before the invasion, and it proved to be accurate. Your administration chose to rely on the "information" provided by the alcoholic cousin of an aide to the convicted frauster and Iranian double-agent Ahmed Chalabi, the infamous "Curveball". Nevermind that German intelligence warned the DIA that he was a lying bastard.

http://hasc3.house.gov/04-06-05FullComm.asf

It's long but a good listen....

"To me, there should be somebody that is large enough to say, 'We made a mistake'," Jones said, almost in tears with frustration.

Hey, Congressman, how about stepping up to the plate yourself? Or are you still pretending that the "intelligence" selectively promoted to justify the war wasn't laughably thin?

But it wasn't really a mistake, was it? You're not stupid enough honestly to have believed what the hawks were telling us. You went along with it out of expediency, knowing that no one you loved would ever have to bear the cost of your unprovoked and undeclared war. Now that your stance is becoming a LIEability, you're trying to play the victim.

I'm not falling for it.

If I knew the truth back then, they should have known it also.

"If I had known then what I know today, I wouldn't have voted for that resolution. Absolutely not," he said Thursday in an interview.

I hope he wasnt one of the people calling Kerry a flip-flopper....

"I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now that the inadequate intelligence and faulty conclusions are being revealed, that all things being considered, it was a mistake to launch that military action. That's especially true in view of the fact that the attack was initiated "without a broad and engaged international coalition," the 1st District congressman said.

"Knowing now what I know about the reliance on the tenuous or insufficiently corroborated intelligence used to conclude that Saddam maintained a substantial WMD (weapons of mass destruction) arsenal, I believe that launching the pre-emptive military action was not justified."

*(Funny; I KNEW BEFORE bush's illegal Hitleresque war of aggression just how "tenuous" the "WMD intell" was...so did 52% of America and most the rest of the entire world.)

As a result of the war, he said, "our country's reputation around the world has never been lower and our alliances are weakened."

"Left unresolved for now is whether intelligence was intentionally misconstrued to justify military action," he said.

Republican Rep. Doug Bereuter is a senior member of the House International Relations Committee and vice chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/08/18/top_story/10053833.txt

there's a great thread going in Editorials about an article in Rolling Stone:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x118212

"The most vivid proof of the Christianizing of Capitol Hill comes at the final session of Reclaiming America. Rep. Walter Jones, a lanky congressman from North Carolina, gives a fire-and-brimstone speech that would have gotten him laughed out of Washington thirty years ago. In today's climate, however, he's got a chance of passing his pet project, the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, which would permit ministers to endorse political candidates from their pulpits, effectively converting their tax-exempt churches into Republican campaign headquarters.

"America is under assault!" Jones thunders as his aides dash around the sanctuary snapping PR photos. "Everyone in America has the right to speak freely, except for those standing in the pulpits of our churches!" The amen chorus reaches a fever pitch. Hands fly heavenward. "

==
Scary dude.

Mr Jones profile for those of us who had no clue. After reading all the comments here, I would say it's save-face cover ass damage control time in Eastern NC...wonder if the constituents are buying it.
What a narcissistic defense--wah wah. Crocodile tears.

Still, this reflects a whittling away of support for * family war :)

:-)

Sharing information is why I love DU.

Puts him in a slightly different light. He's probably more of a Pat Buchanan-type conservative.

I didn't know this, but definitely in agreement with the many posters here pointing out the conveniently belated outrage Mr. Jones is displaying. This added evidence of christofascist bullypulpit spittle-spewing bile makes it much more interesting, or more nauseating.

Wasn't it? Does anyone have a link or links to reports or speech text that reflects those Bushite sentiments prior to the vote?

If the republicans suddenly become the party against the war by changing their position b/c of polls, im gonna be even more pissed off than ever. In the meantime, the congressional dems are too scared to come out against it.

one if their was public funding of elections (no privet money)

two If their was a real publicly owned news broadcasting net work
that was not dominated by the cooperations. (real debate)

Until then (if ever) we must be thankful for the few that have back bone. That is why I am thankful for the net and for this site.

When did that happen? Although the constitution demands that congress declare war, I don't think I recall that happening this time.

Instead they voted for the dear leader to go to the UN for inspections. When the inspections showed the lying killers in the Bush admin were wrong about WMDs, the junta invaded anyway.

If there was a vote for war by the god-damned congress of the United States of America, I MISSED IT.

Quick Winston Smith...send this message down the memory hole.

There is no news release on his website nor a transcript of the HASC meeting on Thomas (I beleive committee hearings are not in Thomas.

Anyone know how to get committee hearing transcripts?

hindsight is ALWAYS 20-20.

on the war is going to interfere with the smooth establishment of the theocracy in America.

He's nuts.

see the truth and form a new party where pnacers and the cabal are left with the evangelicals and dems I can't admire are left to play corporate madness with the pnacers.

If not, it would still be a great country if Repubs just didn't always vote with pnacer Repubs. Or...if our leaders stopped the b s of pretending they work for us when everyone knows that most are corporate partners with paid lobbyists - who earn two salaries - ours and the corporate payolas.