"We Don't Want to Hear about History!" Shouted Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller

WorldWideStandard.Com ^ | January 9,2006 | Daniel McKivergan

[PJ-Comix]

One revealing anecdote from Ambassador Bremer's book, My Year in Iraq, involves West Virginia's Jay Rockefeller. On September 23, 2003, Bremer briefed the Senate Democratic caucus on Iraq.

I started to explain why the supplemental appropriation was important by noting "the lessons of history," having in mind the failures following World War I and the success after World War II. Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia rudely interrupted, "We all know our history, Mr. Ambassador. Don't bother us with history."

I paused and then continued to describe how after World War I, the Allies had withdrawn after saddling Germany with crushing debt.

"We don't want to hear about history!" Rockefeller shouted.

The hell with you, I thought. I plunged on. (p. 173)

Of course, what Sen. Rockefeller could really have used was a review of recent history -- particularly on what he said on the Senate floor on October 10, 2002 in support of the resolution authorizing the use of force against Saddam Hussein. Given his strong grasp of history, it's rather odd he's forgotten it. Some highlights:

As the attacks of September 11 demonstrated, the immense destructiveness of modern technology means we can no longer afford to wait around for a smoking gun. September 11 demonstrated that the fact that an attack on our homeland has not yet occurred cannot give us any false sense of security that one will not occur in the future. We no longer have that luxury.

September 11 changed America. It made us realize we must deal differently with the very real threat of terrorism, whether it comes from shadowy groups operating in the mountains of Afghanistan or in 70 other countries around the world, including our own.

There has been some debate over how "imminent" a threat Iraq poses. I do believe that Iraq poses an imminent threat, but I also believe that after September 11, that question is increasingly outdated.

And:

Saddam's government has contact with many international terrorist organizations that likely have cells here in the United States.

And:

He could make those weapons [WMD] available to many terrorist groups which have contact with his government, and those groups could bring those weapons into the U.S. and unleash a devastating attack against our citizens. I fear that greatly.

Rockefeller added:

Some argue it would be totally irrational for Saddam Hussein to initiate an attack against the mainland United States, and they believe he would not do it. But if Saddam thought he could attack America through terrorist proxies and cover the trail back to Baghdad, he might not think it so irrational.

If he thought, as he got older and looked around an impoverished and isolated Iraq, that his principal legacy to the Arab world would be a brutal attack on the United States, he might not think it so irrational. And if he thought the U.S. would be too paralyzed with fear to respond, he might not think it so irrational.

[Ole Okie]

Fool, nah, more like pompous ignorant ass. A fool can sometimes be funny

I hate to admit it but I tend to get Sen. Warner (Mr. Elizabeth Taylor) and Sen. Rockefeller (lots of money) mixed up.

Both of 'em remind me of Gen. Jubilation T. Cornpone.

Or General Bullmoose. Take yer pick.

[steelcurtain]

John D. The Fourth is not terribly bright. IIRC, he holds only a bachelor's degree in Japan Studies, which is terribly valuable when representing a state like W.Va. I've been in his presence on a few occasions and can attest to his utter stupidity. He inherited wealth and he married one of Sen. Chuck Percy's daughters. That's about the extent of his accomplishments.