John Kerry Reportedly To Present "Downing Street Memo" To Congress (New Info)

All Headline News ^ | 06-05-2005 | Douglas Maher

[My Favorite Headache]

John Kerry Reportedly To Present "Downing Street Memo" To Congress

June 5, 2005 7:36 a.m. EST

Douglas Maher - All Headline News Staff Reporter

Washington,D.C. (AHN)- After remaining almost silent since losing the 2004 election by thirty four electoral votes, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts is reportedly planning to to present Congress with The Downing Street Memo, reported last month by the London Times.

The memo purports to include minutes from a July 2002 meeting with Tony Blair, in which Blair allegedly said that President Bush's administration "fixed" intelligence on Iraq in order to justify the Iraqi war.

The Downing Street Memo is a leaked Top Secret document that details the minutes of a 2002 meeting between top-level British and American government officials.

The memo states that George Bush "was determined" to attack Iraq long before going to Congress with the matter, and that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

Rumblings across Washington and the Internet claim this is a step from Democrats towards impeachment of President Bush.

Fellow Democrat Rep. John Conyers of Michigan has issued a statement on the U.S. House of Representatives stating that he is seeking information regarding the meeting minutes.

"I am seeking information regarding the charges made in the so-called “Downing Street Minutes” that there was a secret agreement between the U.S. and the U..K to invade Iraq by the summer of 2002, well before the president sought congressional authority." Conyers said.

"Please provide us with any information or leads you might have regarding such a secret pre-war deal, or other efforts to manipulate intelligence or provoke a response to justify war. We will treat any information provided on this site as confidential. Thank you for your assistance in this important matter."

However, All Headline News has re-discovered that a bill signed by then President Clinton named "The Iraqi Liberation Act of 1998" gave President Bush all of the legal recourse necessary for the war.

Stating directly from the bill: "Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 - Declares that it should be the policy of the United States to seek to remove the Saddam Hussein regime from power in Iraq and to replace it with a democratic government. "

The H.R. 4655 law was signed into effect October 31,1998.

Republicans plan to issue a response to Senator Kerry by using his own words against him, a tactic used in the 2004 Election. Where Sen. Kerry was quoted as saying the war was justified and Saddam Hussein needed to be removed.

Copyright © All Headline News - All rights reserved.

[jayef]

I think Brit was playing devil's advocate. I can't see how he could possibly be concerned about this. It really amounts to jack squat.

[Txsleuth]

You may be right---he was probably incredulous that Mort was so adamantly sure that this was "no big deal"---and even ole pickle puss, CeCe Connolly didn't think it was all that important...

[brushcop]

You are absolutely right. It DOESN'T NEED TO HAVE A SHRED OF TRUTH to it at all. Those people don't worry about the truth for G-d's sake, when are people going to get a brain??

Tonkin also hit the nail on the head with post #199. I'm sick of CINOs singing their siren song of "don't worry, we're going to bring justice to the masses...", yeah right, you have to FIGHT for justice and that scares a bunch of you to the point of wetting your pants.

[Nyboe]

LOL are they STILL trying to push this !? ROFL !

This is the STUPIDEST thing i've ever heard, the US based it's comments about WMD's on BRITISH intelligence.

Good grief, these liberals are in complete fantasy land.

[CT]

He ought to present his sanitized military records. They are about as believeable as the memo.

[massgopguy]

There are no direct quotes attributed to either Mssrs. Bush or Blair. This is hearsay at best and fake at worst.

[Tempestuous]

Why are the demo-rats losing? Becuase good honest people in this country are sick of the left trying to destroy America. It seems that the words of James Madison are being remembered.

At the end of the American war of independence James Madison wrote an Address to the States, endorsed by Congress and by George Washington, recommending measures to secure the fragile independence that had just been won. He concluded with a reflection that sheds light on what is at stake in the education of American citizens in our own day:

"[T]he citizens of the United States are responsible for the greatest trust ever confided to a political society. If justice, good faith, honor, gratitude and all the other qualities which enoble the character of a nation and fulfill the ends of government be the fruits of our establishments, the cause of liberty will acquire a dignity and lustre, which it has never yet enjoyed, and an example will be set, which cannot but have the most favourable influence on the rights of Mankind. If in the other side, our governments should be unfortunately blotted with the reverse of these cardinal and essential virtues, the great cause which we have engaged to vindicate, will be dishonored and betrayed; the last and fairest experiment in favor of the rights of human nature will be turned against them; and their patrons and friends exposed to be insulted and silenced by the votaries of tyranny and usurpation."

Marvin Meyers, ed., The Mind of the Founder: Sources of the Political Thought of James Madison, (New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1973), p. 32. Return to text.

Anyone interested in the real meaning of the Cardinal Virtues can click here: http://www.secondexodus.com/html/catholicdefinitions/cardinalvirtues.htm

[genefromjersey]

This is a far-ranging scheme: intended to impeach the President (mainly for having defeated John Kerry.)

I did a "Google" search and found over 500,000 entries-most of the left wing-and references to "Google-Bombing" the matter; ie:posting stories on net sites that are apt to be picked up by Google. Some of the "lefties" posting on this matter are unabashed Communists.

The so-called Memo is suspect to begin with,as it may be based on an article run in The Guardian 2 days before the actual meeting:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,759158,00.html

There is also a question as to whether any document marked "Most Secret/Eyes Only" could be printed in Britain without all concerned being booked in for a long visit to the "Crown Hotel".

In short,this appears to be what the Russians call "disinformatsia" - but it does open some possible opportunities.

The Left has exposed itself far more than usual,and its flanks are strung WAY out.This is an ideal time for a punch to the center-which-done properly,might disable these people for a very long time.

I'm looking for solid information and ideas.

[Snidely Whiplash]

The seem to be letting the dems get a lot of rope on this one and not responding much.

I think this is mainly because it hasn't received a great deal of airtime or print coverage in the US so far, and has thus remained a low-key story. They figure (rightly) that they ought not call attention to the memo by addressing its content.

Incidentally, the memo is highly unlikely to be a Rove plant. It came to light as part of the recent UK elections, appears to be authentic (as far as it goes), and it hurt Blair's party, esp. in Parliament. A President who's approval rating is in the low-mid 40s can not afford a big stink over something like this.

SW

[ampat]

He should forego the memo until his entire service record is made public.

[Snidely Whiplash]

Even if true, I fail to see what the problem is.

The problem, according to the memo's floggers, is that it wasn't merely strategerizing in advance of a possible war. The memo alleges that facts and intelligence were manipulated around the general policy goal of removing Saddam in order to make a case for war. It also alleges that there were attempts to provoke Saddam into doing something to give us an excuse to start shooting. The third big allegation is that there was no thought given to post-conquest planning.

If this stuff turned out to be true, it's the worst thing that could possibly happen for our Iraq policy, since it would show the moonbats were (shudder) right.

Big problem is that Blair's office hasn't to this point refuted the accuracy of the memo. Dunno why they'd do that if it IS BS.

[Snidely Whiplash]

The British definition of the word "fixed" means to verify as accurate.

Yes, but as many words do, it has other meanings as well. In this case, the context rules. The complete phrase is:

"But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

There's not much room for parsing. The context, together with the actual phrase, makes the allegation pretty clear - "fixed around" means "molded" or "manipulated."

SW

[Nooseman]

Cleanup on isle 3!

[OKIEDOC]

Is there any one else out in FReeper land that thinks that Conyers and the rest of the Congressional Black Caucus are nothing more than race baiting lackeys for their white masters down at the Democratic National Committee.

Seems like to me that every time Howard Dean yells frog the Black Caucus jumps to attention.

What does an old racists Commie like Conyers hope to get out of pushing any agenda for Master Kerry and Madam Hellary.

I assume that the Democrats are proposing to sell out American with another redistribution of wealth through a grateful Reparations program for ghetto blacks.

I wonder, before this is over, if maybe we in Texas will have to give reparations to Mexico for whipping their butts back in the 1840's.

Gosh maybe the government is letting our borders be over run because we are afraid that Presidente Fox will ask for reparations.

[OKIEDOC]

Could Kerry be carrying the water for the Dims in hopes everyone will forget he has not disclosed his war records?

Can anyone clarify how much information Kerry has released proving he was no traitor or stupid coward.

[Dutch Boy]

" Incidentally, the memo is highly unlikely to be a Rove plant.

I doubt that any of the memos have been Rove plants. It doen't stop the libs from trying to blame him for their willingness to believe anything that might be negative against a republican.

[Nightshift]

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

1] The memo alleges that facts and intelligence were manipulated

If so, that is of course killer stuff, but I really doubt that is the case.

2] It also alleges that there were attempts to provoke Saddam into doing something to give us an excuse to start shooting

This is where I differ with the pacifists. I believe that in today's high tech and dangerous world, the President does not need to "provoke" anybody--as long as he believes they pose a threat, he has the right ( and obligation) to strike first.

3] The third big allegation is that there was no thought given to post-conquest planning.

Here is where I REALLY differ with the pacifist freaks and even many conservatives--after the shooting stops, I say screw 'em--let France and other cowardly nations do the post-op kissy face stuff. I could care less about the "end game".

[Purrcival]

"Kerry's been re-elected what, four times?"

Hey, what do you expect? This is the same state that automatically re-elects that coward Ted Kennedy every six years. So what if he took a drunken drive off a bridge and left his mistress to drown while he swam/ran off and tried to figure out how he was going to save his own sorry @$$?

[Purrcival]

Heck, I want to see the crazy, yelling, bearded Hildabeast pic.