Before we get into this, the two party system is pulling a fast one. Allow me to accurately rephrase the Democratic and Republican position on Iraq -
"Dude, this isn't where I parked my car"
Damn right, according to Jon Stewart
Iraq, just like the rest of the Middle East, is not ours. Cheney and company LIED to get us there:
In order to use force against Iraq, the president must have met these requirements per the joint resolution:
“b) Presidential Determination.--In connection with the exercise of
the authority granted in subsection (a) to use force the President
shall, prior to such exercise or as soon thereafter as may be feasible,
but no later than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make
available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that—
(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic or
other peaceful means alone either (A) will not adequately
protect the national security of the United States against the
continuing threat posed by Iraq or (B) is not likely to lead to
enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council
resolutions regarding Iraq; and
(2) acting pursuant to this joint resolution is consistent
with the United States and other countries continuing to take
the necessary actions against international terrorist and
terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations,
or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the
terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.”
No attack or threat from Iraq was imminent. The president’s report contained no new information, nor did it substantiate any claim made about Iraq’s WMD capability. For these reasons alone, we should not be there. Representatives Courtney and Simmons should have initiated impeachment hearings. They did not. They voted to continue paying for this in lives and money.
Then there’s this:
Instead of being right about Al Qaeda being in Iraq, Bush opened the door for Al Qaeda to come into Iraq. Don’t let anyone tell you this is irrelevant. It is a fact that 3,500 families will never believe this fact to be irrelevant – or forgotten.
Now, I want you to see Iraq. Forget this campaign for a minute. Forget what the media is telling you. Forget it all for just a minute, and watch:
These are the FACTS:
1) The US military is meant for defending the United States. It does not nation build. It does not enforce UN resolutions. It does not make economic conditions optimal and it does not artificially inflate the price of oil by sowing civil unrest.
2) Our soldiers do a comparatively low paid and thankless job – especially in contrast to their Blackwater and KBR counterparts.
3) The Congress and President Bush have abused the military. To atone for the war, its supporters should do no less than to get a rifle and get over there themselves.
4) The war should be ended immediately. This is not a political game where we wait to see who wins the election or who has the best proposal for ending it when they get into office. This is an occupation which only contributes to the instability of Iraq – nothing less. If anyone had a plan, we would have seen it by now. Only an idiot, uninformed and blindly following, would ever suggest we would “win” an occupation like Iraq… or Vietnam… or Korea… or any other improperly or undeclared war.
6 states have moved formally in their legislatures to put impeachment on the table for Iraq and various combinations of literally dozens of high crimes, misdemeanors and acts of maladministration. Aside from Iraq, Bush has compiled a long list of impeachable offenses, all of which place our republic in grave danger should the Congress do nothing – even after he leaves office.
As your representative sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution, defending the republic will never be off the table. Many party liners cite the need to compromise, give and take, or not try due to improbability of success.
When it comes to the Constitution, you can’t give or take anything. That’s how you end up in places like Iraq or with unfunded liabilities above $50 trillion.