[TigersEye]

What was the context at the time? We were in a state of war with Iraq, under a cease fire.

• 1. Iraqi provocation of American planes patrolling the no-fly zone. "More than 42,000 sorties were flown during that time. Iraqi surface-to-air missiles and other anti-aircraft systems targeted ONW aircrews on nearly every flight." (That sounds like 42,000 reasons to me.)
• 2. Saddam defied 17 UN resolutions that were a result of his losing the war. (again, that should count as 17 reasons.)
• 3. Saddam tried to assassinate a former U.S. President.
• 4. Saddam was killing the Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq that we had promised protection.
• 5. Iraq's nuclear weapons program.
• 6. Iraq's biological weapons program.
• 7. Iraq's chemical weapons program.
• 8. Saddam's extensive cooperation with terrorists.

I left out the 500,000+ people Saddam had killed because, who cares? /s

[MaxFlint]

We were in a state of war with Iraq, under a cease fire.

Except we weren't, not legally speaking. War was never declared. Slipping into war without congressmen and senators ever having to go on the record as supporting it has caused nothing but disaster. It's also unconstitutional, as the Constitution clearly gives the power to declare war to congress, not to the president.

If George H. W. Bush had been forced to make his case for war against Iraq to congress it either wouldn't have happened or the war aims would have been much more clearly defined from the start.

But it's spilled milk now, no point crying over it. The question is: How do we recover from the damage done to the GOP? Trump's answer is cut it loose, admit Bush screwed up and change the subject.

If you don't think Bush screwed up it's for the best to keep quiet about it. We all saw how much good defending his brother did for Jeb.