Starkist
10-02-2002, 03:03 AM
Some quotes from US Representitive Jim McDermott, D-Wash, live from Baghdad:
"I think the president would mislead the American people. It would not surprise me if they came with some information that is not provable. First they said it was al Qaeda, then they said it was weapons of mass destruction. Now they're going back and saying it's al Qaeda again."
"The American people are not with one voice on Iraq and they are debating about it like the rest of the world."
"They're setting it up not to work." (Referring to inspections.)
"Sanctions hurt people, not leaders."
"They said they would allow us to go look anywhere we wanted. And until they don't do that, there is no need to do this coercive stuff where you bring in helicopters and armed people and storm buildings."
"You don't start out by putting the gun to their head and saying we're going to shoot you if you blink." (Referring to the US threat of force.)
Some people are just too trusting. Saddam Hussein has been proven to have weapons programs, he has defied UN demands, he has hoarded all the resources of the country causing his people to look like victims of sanctions, he has killed his own people, and he even tried to assassinate a former US President. Now we have Mr. McDermott and his cronies speaking from the heart of Saddam's dark kingdom telling us what a nice guy he is and how we should trust him. Quite frankly I am ashamed to have him as one of my nine congressional representitives. :(
Quotes in response -
"To be questioning the veracity of our own American president is the height of irresponsible. He needs to come home and keep his mouth shut." (Rep. Trent Lott, R-Miss)
"Basically, he's taking Saddam Hussein's lines. They both sound somewhat like spokespersons for the Iraqi government." (Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla)
"Don't go to Baghdad and do it. You are helping the Iraqi government sell to the Iraqi people their hatred of the United States of America, and it is wrong. And I honestly do not understand it." (Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz)
"It's his right to say anything he wants, no matter how foolish, and he exercised that right." (White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer)
"I frankly just thought it was comical. Four know-nothings going over there to put on a show." (California logger Mike Anderson)
"His (Hussein's) business over the last nine years has been deceit. What I worry about is that there are al-Qaida people residing in Baghdad as we speak... Hussein needs to be deposed, unless he is willing to completely disarm." (Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash)
"I don't know all the information the White House has. So I can't judge how imminent they really believe the threat is." (Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash)
This talk of war is very political. Most Republicans support the president, whether out of conviction or because they know their constituents support him. The Democrats are waiting. They know that a lot of their constituents also support war, and if they vote against the president they will hurt their election chances. The same can be said about voting with him, because the most vocal doves are also in the Democrat constituency.
"I think the president would mislead the American people. It would not surprise me if they came with some information that is not provable. First they said it was al Qaeda, then they said it was weapons of mass destruction. Now they're going back and saying it's al Qaeda again."
"The American people are not with one voice on Iraq and they are debating about it like the rest of the world."
"They're setting it up not to work." (Referring to inspections.)
"Sanctions hurt people, not leaders."
"They said they would allow us to go look anywhere we wanted. And until they don't do that, there is no need to do this coercive stuff where you bring in helicopters and armed people and storm buildings."
"You don't start out by putting the gun to their head and saying we're going to shoot you if you blink." (Referring to the US threat of force.)
Some people are just too trusting. Saddam Hussein has been proven to have weapons programs, he has defied UN demands, he has hoarded all the resources of the country causing his people to look like victims of sanctions, he has killed his own people, and he even tried to assassinate a former US President. Now we have Mr. McDermott and his cronies speaking from the heart of Saddam's dark kingdom telling us what a nice guy he is and how we should trust him. Quite frankly I am ashamed to have him as one of my nine congressional representitives. :(
Quotes in response -
"To be questioning the veracity of our own American president is the height of irresponsible. He needs to come home and keep his mouth shut." (Rep. Trent Lott, R-Miss)
"Basically, he's taking Saddam Hussein's lines. They both sound somewhat like spokespersons for the Iraqi government." (Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla)
"Don't go to Baghdad and do it. You are helping the Iraqi government sell to the Iraqi people their hatred of the United States of America, and it is wrong. And I honestly do not understand it." (Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz)
"It's his right to say anything he wants, no matter how foolish, and he exercised that right." (White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer)
"I frankly just thought it was comical. Four know-nothings going over there to put on a show." (California logger Mike Anderson)
"His (Hussein's) business over the last nine years has been deceit. What I worry about is that there are al-Qaida people residing in Baghdad as we speak... Hussein needs to be deposed, unless he is willing to completely disarm." (Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash)
"I don't know all the information the White House has. So I can't judge how imminent they really believe the threat is." (Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash)
This talk of war is very political. Most Republicans support the president, whether out of conviction or because they know their constituents support him. The Democrats are waiting. They know that a lot of their constituents also support war, and if they vote against the president they will hurt their election chances. The same can be said about voting with him, because the most vocal doves are also in the Democrat constituency.