Iraq War Resolution vote was before weapons inspectors went in

what am I missing here? Why should Bush hold Congress accountable for it's vote in October when the inspectors didn't get back in until November? It was early 2003 when the inspectors were beginning to show no WMD that Bush had to end it and go to war fast so he didn't lose his excuse.

I've not seen anyone really comment on that so I wonder if my dates are off (October 11 was IWR vote, November 8 was UN vote to send in inspectors. There were a few weeks of futzing with Saddam saying he might not let the inspectors in but it was certainly after the IRW vote) or my reasoning.

At that point, when Blix couldn't find anything, Bush went for the mushroom cloud so as to stop us from saying wait, the vote was for WMD and there are none so we should have another vote.

Seems the most logical argument against Bush blaming "us" for alos believing there were WMD but since no one is making it, am I missing something.

Congress did not give Bush blanket approval to invade and take out Saddam, just approval for him to take the necessary steps to make sure Saddam complied with U. N. Security council resolutions to submit to inspections and disarmament (which he was doing) with the understanding that military force would only be used after attempts at diplomacy and inspections were exhausted.

Bush is the one who is trying to reinvent history and hope everyone forgets the sequence of events where he got Congressional authorization to use force if necessary but then he did not act in good faith or allow the inspectors to continue their work but instead rushed to war, exaggerating the threat.

as well as his statements during the campaign last year.


* rushed to war by cutting short diplomatic measures and ending the inspections early.