Posted on 06/05/2005 10:39:06 AM PDT by hipaatwo
John Kerry announced Thursday that he intends 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 the leaked secret British 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."
So far neither government has disputed the accuracy of the memo.
The memo caused an uproar in Britain and made a significant impact in the British national elections, but has recieved little attention in American news.
The Boston Globe published an article by Ralph Nader, Tuesday, in which Nader also called for President Bush's impeachment. The story is being carried on Michael Moore's website and the Democratic Underground.
Failed presidential candidate Kerry advised that he will begin the presentation of his case for President Bush's impeachment to Congress, on Monday.
Kerry said of the memo: "When I go back [to Washington] on Monday, I am going to raise the issue. I think it's a stunning, unbelievably simple and understandable statement of the truth and a profoundly important document that raises stunning issues here at home. And it's amazing to me the way it escaped major media discussion. It's not being missed on the Internet, I can tell you that."
He questioned Americans' understanding of the war and the idea that criticism equals disloyalty, saying, "Do you think that Americans if they really understood it would feel that way knowing that on Election Day, 77 percent of Americans who voted for Bush believed that weapons of mass destruction had been found and 77 percent believe Saddam did 9/11? Is there a way for this to break through, ever?"
House Representative John Conyers has written to the President regarding the memo:
"...a debate has raged in the United States over the last year and one half about whether the obviously flawed intelligence that falsely stated that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction was a mere 'failure' or the result of intentional manipulation to reach foreordained conclusions supporting the case for war. The memo appears to close the case on that issue stating that in the United States the intelligence and facts were being 'fixed' around the decision to go to war."
There is a growing movement on the internet and in Congress for a "Resolution of Inquiry" into issues surrounding the planning and execution of the Iraq war, especially in regard to the Administration's handling of intelligence.
John Dean, a key Watergate figure, wrote in a June 2003 column for a legal website, that, "To put it bluntly, if Bush has taken Congress and the nation into war based on bogus information, he is cooked... Manipulation or deliberate misuse of national security intelligence data, if proven, could be a 'high crime' under the Constitution's impeachment clause."
However, in practical terms impeachment in the U.S. Senate requires a 2/3 majority for conviction, which is unlikely given that 55 out of 100 Senators are Republican.
When asked about the Downing Street Memo on May 23, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: "If anyone wants to know how the intelligence was used by the administration, all they have to do is go back and look at all the public comments over the course of the lead-up to the war in Iraq, and that's all very public information. Everybody who was there could see how we used that intelligence.
"And in terms of the intelligence, it was wrong, and we are taking steps to correct that and make sure that in the future we have the best possible intelligence, because it's critical in this post-September 11th age, that the executive branch has the best intelligence possible."
One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."
--President Bill Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998
"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
--President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."
--Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998
"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."
--Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."
Letter to President Clinton, signed by: -- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998
"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
-Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998
"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies."
-- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999
"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies."
Letter to President Bush, Signed by: -- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), and others, Dec 5, 2001
"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and th! e means of delivering them."
-- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
-- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."
-- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
-- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..."
-- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002
"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force -- if necessary -- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."
-- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002
"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."
-- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002
"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do"
-- Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."
-- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction."
-- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002
"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real..."
-- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_060305/content/see_i_told_you_so.guest.html
Kerry Echoes Kook Impeachment Rumblings (June 3)
I have a little blurb here that I got earlier today from another website. We're already seeing rumblings of the next big thing for the Democratic Party. It's impeachment. Let me count them: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten different web links that you can click on and find impeachment websites or petitions for people to sign. Now, they're kooks. They're kook sites but, hey, who is dictating things to the Democratic Party these days? They're kooks. I told you before last year's election, "If Bush wins this, keep a sharp eye. They'll start on impeachment," and I'll tell you what it's going to be. Abu Ghraib and Gitmo. This judge, Alvin Hellerstein has decided that not only should pictures from Abu Ghraib be released under the Freedom of Information Act, so should videos. This is a Freedom of Information Act brought by the ACLU. Judge Hellerstein the other day said, okay, the more pictures, the better. Now videos as well, and the purpose, the ACLU says, "is to demonstrate that it's not just a bunch of renegade soldiers but that this went to the top," ergo, impeachment. I'm just warning you. It's percolating out there on these kook Democrat websites, and I predicted it. In fact, there's even one of these links is to a letter to the editor in the South Florida Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, and this letter to the editor talks about how Bush needs to be impeached.
"Someone needs to tell Jean Francois that he still won't get into the White House if he gets this passed, . . ."
Supposing the impossible happened. President Cheney has a nice ring to it, too.
Agreed. Right along with Jane Fonda, Ramsey Clark, and Ted Kennedy.
"The memo caused an uproar in Britain and made a significant impact in the British national elections, but has recieved little attention in American news."
This is the key point that keeps on coming up even though this story has been all over the news and has been for some time. I guarantee you the next story will be how the WH has tried to cover this up and or cloud the story with lies etc......
Without M Jackson in the news cycle the MSM needs a story and needs it badly. Watch for this to gain coverage for a couple of days until the MJ verdict and then die a quick death. However without an MJ verdict this could hang around like a bad smell.
And a very ticked-off President Cheney it would be, I might add.
Sore Loserman redux
Can you say John McCain? He never puts the good of the country above what he thinks is good for his own political advantage.
John Kerry needs to re-read the Constitution (assuming he has read it before). The impeachment process begins in the House of Representatives, not in the Senate, and if the President were removed by the Senate, the Vice President would become President...not the runner-up in the most recent Presidential election.
Should I buy bulk ammo for my 870 or invest in an AR15
"now we know what the w. mark felt story was all about"
You are SOOOOOO CORRECT.
Exposing "Deep Throat" was just to remind people how corrupt republican presidents are (but of course no mention of the Clinton impeachment).
However, the public is so much more savy about what the media says .. the media will not be able to control the context of this debate.
And .. having read the memo myself - which is and will be available to the public also - it's really a stretch to come to the conclusion that we "fixed" intel. You have to twist yourself into a pretzel in order to come to that conclusion.
But .. we are well aware the dems are willing to do ANYTHING to get their power back. They don't care if it tears the country apart and causes harm to the President's ability to deal with other nations. The dems hate the fact that international opinion of GWB is changing in GWB's favor. This is also part of the equation.
And .. the dems have Hillary's expertise as part of the legal team who tried to impeach Nixon. With that experience, the dems think they have a edge in trying to get Bush.
WE CAN STOP THIS DEAD IN IT'S TRACKS - HOW ..?? GET UP OFF YOUR BLESSED ASSURANCE AND WORK YOUR FANNY OFF TO GET YOUR REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE ELECTED IN 2006. IF WE CAN SWAMP THE CONGRESS WITH EVEN MORE REPUBS - IT WILL SEND A VERY POWERFUL MESSAGE; to both dems and repubs alike.
I DARE YOU !!
And .. if you're thinking of trying to whine your way out of this by saying the repubs in office now aren't doing what we want .. THEN HOW ABOUT GIVING THEM AN OVERWHELMING BACK-UP SUPPORT OF MORE REPUBS - it's better than staying home and feeling sorry for yourself.
We did it before .. so you have to ask yourself .. is AMERICA worth doing it again ..?? ARE WE GOING TO JUST SIT HERE LIKE A LUMP AND ALLOW THE DEMS TO GET AWAY WITH THIS ..??
"And a very ticked-off President Cheney it would be, I might add."
VERY ticked off.
Kerry is still a sore loser and a USA hateing, military bashing collaborator.
Any wonder some think our worst enemies are fellow Americans? I just hope this antic is another nail in the Demonrats coffin.
When did McCain become a Republican?
RINO in left-center field.
Kerry is such a pathetic looser. He goes to another country and comes back with their anti-American propaganda in hopes of impeaching our President? This is just like when he went and met with the Chinese LoL!
What a traitorous scumbag. Shut up and sign the 180 Kerry.
Oops - I posted on the wrong thread.
Republicans always put the good of the country above what's good for the party or a single man.
------
I asume you are being serious. Thus, I am having a tough time with this one. For ONE example, illegal immigration, and what is doing to this country, and the list goes on. My case rests.
I heard it last week on FOX.
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