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So, the Bush administration lied to us. So what? People lie all the time, don't they? They were just defending our national interests, weren't they?
Lies about Iraqis buying uranium. Lies about Iraqi chemical weapons. Lies about Iraq's imminent threat to the US. Lies about the national energy policy. Lies about global environmental and criminal treaties. Lies, on fucking 9/12, about who was repsonsible for the terror attacks they have used to such political effect ("We've got to tie Iraq to this. It has got to be state-sponsored"). Lies about why they refuse to allow 9/11 to be properly investigated (lies about 9/11 itself?). Lies about the 2000 elections.
When I see Republicans shamelessly defending these lies, I think back to December, 1998. Here are some interesting quotes from that time:
"While reverence for parallels with the Nixon impeachment is seductive but inappropriate, there are some points worth noting. In the Nixon case, for example, lying to Congress and to the American people in just such a manner, provoked a separate article of impeachment. Is the danger of such an attack on our constitutional processes any less dangerous today?"
Rep. Bob Barr, speaking as an impeachment manager prior to the trial of President Clinton, 12/11/98.
"And the misleading and all the things that the Democratic members condemn as being unacceptable, people in my district find not only to be unacceptable but inconsistent with national leadership."
Rep. Lindsay Graham, also from the House impeachment hearing, 12/11/98.
"Now, what all this boils down to is what do we think of the oath? Is it a ceremonial formality, or does it mean something? And this is why the president's lying...is so serious. It is an assault on the rule of law. It cheapens the oath. It is a breach of promise to tell the truth. It subverts our system of government."
Rep. Henry Hyde, 12/11/98.
"The president is the chief executive officer of the nation, the chief law enforcement officer of the nation, and our military's commander in chief. If we tolerate such serious crimes as perjury and obstruction of justice by the president of the United States and fail to impeach him, there will be grave, damaging consequences for our system of government."
Rep. Bill McCollum, 12/10/98.
"There are no winners, and there are no losers today. America has truly suffered, but the facts remain that our president has placed himself before the law and the nation."
Rep. Ed Bryant, 12/10/98.
The obvious treachery and duplicity of these bastards can never be forgotten. Every one of them should be made to explain to the American people how they can sleep at night after this, perhaps the most shocking hypocrisy in American history since Jefferson wrote that "all men are created equal" while tolerating slavery.
angka@riseup.net
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