Posted on 02/01/2006 6:17:07 AM PST by Angus MacGregor
Remember this? "The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."
Those are George Bush's famous 16 words from his 2003 State of the Union address, delivered less than two months before he sent troops into war in Iraq.
They were false. Three years later Americans are still demanding answers on the manipulation of intelligence by an administration eager to start a war.
Americans have a lot of questions that went unanswered tonight. When George Bush delivered his State of the Union address, he had a big megaphone and the world's attention. He had the opportunity to regain some degree of credibility with the American people -- more than half of whom disapprove of his performance as president. But he failed to answer the real questions ordinary Americans have about the state of our union:
When will we have a new strategy in Iraq that protects American lives? Violence is increasing, not decreasing there and the mismanagement of this war has cost the lives of Americans and billions of dollars in fraud. And when will we secure our ports and chemical and nuclear plants, which remain vulnerable?
When will the Republican Party put its responsibility to the people before its greed and thirst for power? The Republican culture of corruption in the executive and legislative branches has violated the law and cost taxpayers billions.
When will President Bush and the Republican Congress wake up to the economic crisis tens of millions of Americans face? Good jobs are leaving this country, and many of the jobs that remain exploit working families by denying them adequate benefits. Millionaires and corporations receive tax breaks while Americans can't afford to save, and the gap between rich and poor continues to widen to levels unseen since the 19th century.
When will we finally do something for the 46 million Americans who lack health insurance? Many have had their lives ruined financially when the worst happened, and many more no longer seek the care they need because they cannot afford it.
When will we make serious strides towards energy independence? We get a greater percentage of our oil from cartels and dictatorships now than we did in 2000.
When will he take steps to further ensure retirement security for every American? Growing old with dignity is a right, not a privilege, and dismantling Social Security in favor of private accounts is the wrong direction for our society.
If Bush and the Republicans would bother to answer these questions, the answers would be simple. But they won't answer.
That's because the answer to each and every one is "Never." Never as long as they control our government, never as long as they can execute the same incompetent, dishonest and destructive government without paying a price at the ballot box. The answer will be "never" until we grow the operation and build the infrastructure to beat them.
Part of that means telling people clearly and unambiguously what we stand for -- and I'll tell you right now:
Real security -- we will protect Americans at home by getting serious about homeland security, and address the real threats abroad by capturing or killing Osama bin Laden and focusing on actual (not imagined) nuclear proliferation. We will be prepared for the threats of tomorrow, and we will always tell the truth to our troops and the American people.
Honest leadership and open government -- we will end the criminal Republican culture of corruption and restore a sense of responsibility to elected office, and we will pass fundamental reforms that make government more honest, open, and accountable to the American people than ever before.
Economic prosperity and educational excellence -- we will keep good jobs from leaving and ensure that every job in America is a fair deal. We will balance the budget, ensure that the tax code is simple and fair, and invest in education to ensure that every American has an equal opportunity to succeed.
A health care system that works for everyone -- we will join every other industrialized country by making sure everyone has access to affordable health care. We will change a corrupt, inefficient system into one that makes sure the world's wealthiest country is also the healthiest.
Energy independence -- we will reduce our reliance on foreign oil by investing in cleaner and more efficient technology. We will treat energy independence as what it is -- not only a conservation issue, but an economic and national security issue.
Retirement security -- we will strengthen Social Security and make sure that a retirement with dignity is the right and expectation of every single American.
Tonight and tomorrow, Republicans will be out in full force, spinning, distracting, distorting and dividing. But don't be fooled. You know what you heard in Bush's speech -- and you know the reality.
When Republicans hurl insults and lies, we must be ready to stand up and speak the truth in response -- and to make sure our friends and neighbors are not afraid to do the same.
Please take the time to write a letter to the editor about what's wrong with the Republican priorities -- and what we'll do to put America on the right track:
http://www.democrats.org/sotu/rapidresponse
We cannot sit back and let them attack us. And we cannot sit back and let them attack the values and ideals we hold dear.
That's why we are investing millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours to build the Democratic Party everywhere. We're building a year-round, 50-state party capable of winning elections for every level of office.
Building our party everywhere isn't only about electing more Democrats. It's about bringing people back into the political process and ensuring that we have at least one political party representative of, and responsible to, the people.
These are not short-term investments, and we are not there yet. But we will only create lasting change if every single one of us takes responsibility for speaking out and organizing in our local community.
Over the next ten months, that's exactly what we're going to do.
Thank you.
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
Sorry, I got started on a tangent there with the altar boy thing. My point is that nobody calls be "Newspaperboy Nick" or "Altarboy Nick" now because I used to do those things. Howard Dean has no more right to use the word Governor while signing things as I have. He's not the governor of anything and when he was the title and office did not belong to him then.
The only thing that chaps my booty more than these overrated blowhards like Dean pretending they are still what they no longer are is when they piss their names all over the place. Like dogs marking their territory these guys need to have their names on everything they can get it attached to. I spit every time I see the Senator Lloyd Bentsen Highway. Really, don't drive next to me when I see that sign.
Dean is just another Richie Rich that grew up to be smarter than everyone around him just because he's who he thinks he is. But isn't.
It wasn't enumerated by John Locke, either.
But hey, we's got rights (to anything we can take from your pocket).
Real security -- we will protect Americans at home by getting serious about homeland security, and address the real threats abroad by capturing or killing Osama bin Laden and focusing on actual (not imagined) nuclear proliferation. We will be prepared for the threats of tomorrow, and we will always tell the truth to our troops and the American people.
Can you do better than the President? No attacks in 4 years? Will you guarantee that there will be no attacks? Will you guarantee a timeline for capturing/killing Bin Laden with a real penalty (all Democrats will resign) if you cannot capture or kill him?
Honest leadership and open government -- we will end the criminal Republican culture of corruption and restore a sense of responsibility to elected office, and we will pass fundamental reforms that make government more honest, open, and accountable to the American people than ever before.
There is no substance to this. Formulate legislation and then let's talk.
Economic prosperity and educational excellence -- we will keep good jobs from leaving and ensure that every job in America is a fair deal. We will balance the budget, ensure that the tax code is simple and fair, and invest in education to ensure that every American has an equal opportunity to succeed.
How do you propose to keep jobs from leaving? Will you subsidize those companies? Do you propose to increase union participation? Define what you mean by a job that is a fair deal? How will you balance the budget? What are the consequences if you do not balance it? How much more do you propose to give to education and what are the goals? How are those goals measured? What are the consequences if those goals are not met?
A health care system that works for everyone -- we will join every other industrialized country by making sure everyone has access to affordable health care. We will change a corrupt, inefficient system into one that makes sure the world's wealthiest country is also the healthiest.
Nationalized health care is not wanted by our citizens. Please do not force it on us. The corruption in our current system typically comes from doctors like you who defraud insurance and the gov't.
Energy independence -- we will reduce our reliance on foreign oil by investing in cleaner and more efficient technology. We will treat energy independence as what it is -- not only a conservation issue, but an economic and national security issue.
We are already investing billions in cleaner and more efficient technology. This technology is decades away. Meanwhile, we have enough domestic sources of oil that remain untapped due to your party's hysteria. How about more money for research only in exchange for more drilling?
Retirement security -- we will strengthen Social Security and make sure that a retirement with dignity is the right and expectation of every single American.
This is very funny. You applauded defeating retirement security. Your party says everything is OK and the system is in no danger. Why do you think it needs fixing now?
So Howie ..... it looks to me like you are admitting that up until now the Dems have NOT been serious about homeland security ... and you wonder why 'the majority of Americans' (as you yourself are so fond of saying) do not trust your party with national security?
And the Dems are now going to 'tell the truth' - the same sort of truth that Kerry, Kennedy, Schumer, et al told about the Honorable Justice Alito during the last week or so? The same 'truth' that Kerry & Murtha tell about our brave troops? You GO Howie ... you're The Man ... exactly what the Dems need right about now!
It is accepted by all parties that Iraqi officials visited Niger in 1999. The British Government had intelligence from several different sources indicating that this visit was for the purpose of acquiring uranium. Since uranium constitutes almost three-quarters of Niger’s exports, the intelligence was credible.
The Butler Report affirmed what the British government had said about the Niger uranium story back in 2003, and specifically endorsed what Bush said as well.
By extension, we conclude also that the statement in President Bush’s State of the Union Address of 28 January 2003 that “The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa” was well-founded.
From the Senate Committee:
The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reported July 7, 2004 that the CIA had received reports from a foreign government (not named, but probably Britain) that Iraq had actually concluded a deal with Niger to supply 500 tons a year of partially processed uranium ore, or "yellowcake." That is potentially enough to produce 50 nuclear warheads.
The Senate report said the CIA then asked a "former ambassador" to go to Niger and report. That is a reference to Joseph Wilson -- who later became a vocal critic of the President's 16 words. The Senate report said Wilson brought back denials of any Niger-Iraq uranium sale, and argued that such a sale wasn't likely to happen. But the Intelligence Committee report also reveals that Wilson brought back something else as well -- evidence that Iraq may well have wanted to buy uranium.
Wilson reported that he had met with Niger's former Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki, who said that in June 1999 he was asked to meet with a delegation from Iraq to discuss "expanding commercial relations" between the two countries.
Based on what Wilson told them, CIA analysts wrote an intelligence report saying former Prime Minister Mayki "interpreted 'expanding commercial relations' to mean that the (Iraqi) delegation wanted to discuss uranium yellowcake sales." In fact, the Intelligence Committee report said that "for most analysts" Wilson's trip to Niger "lent more credibility to the original Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports on the uranium deal."
He (the intelligence officer) said he judged that the most important fact in the report was that the Nigerian officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerian Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting.
Both the US and British investigations make clear that some forged Italian documents, exposed as fakes soon after Bush spoke, were not the basis for the British intelligence Bush cited, or the CIA's conclusion that Iraq was trying to get uranium.
In the CIA's view, Wilson's report bolstered suspicions that Iraq was indeed seeking uranium in Africa. The Senate report cited an intelligence officer who reviewed Wilson’s report upon his return from Niger:
Committee Report: He (the intelligence officer) said he judged that the most important fact in the report was that the Nigerian officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerian Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting.
At this point the CIA also had received "several intelligence reports" alleging that Iraq wanted to buy uranium from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from Somalia, as well as from Niger. The Intelligence Committee concluded that "it was reasonable for analysts to assess that Iraq may have been seeking uranium from Africa based on Central Intelligence Agency reporting and other available intelligence."
Once the CIA was certain that the Italian documents were forgeries, it said in an internal memorandum that "we no longer believe that there is sufficient other reporting to conclude that Iraq pursued uranium from abroad." But that wasn't until June 17, 2003 -- nearly five months after Bush's 16 words.
Senate Report: When coordinating the State of the Union, no Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analysts or officials told the National Security Council (NSC) to remove the "16 words" or that there were concerns about the credibility of the Iraq-Niger uranium reporting.
Bush's "16 Words" on Iraq & Uranium: He May Have Been Wrong But He Wasn't Lying
I noticed that Governor/Dr. signature too. It comes off as someone trying to boost his own self-esteem.
Look, he's preaching to people reduced to banging pots and pans at the SOTU, they're already purple-faced mad.
And I also noticed a couple of "culture of corruption" insertions. Is that where all the DNC's money went, to fund polls on how effective "culture of corruption" resonates?
<< Howard Dean's "Rapid response" >>
Rapid?
Shouldn't that read: "Rabid."
Howard Dean's Regular Rabid Response?
Actually HOWIE. They were not false. Just claiming something is false doesn't make it so. To this day the British Govt stands by those words. You know the report is true. The person who is knowingly telling a false hood here Howie Dean IS YOU.
Governor Howard Dean, M.D. PhD (Piled Higher and Deeper)
LOL I'm actually picturing that, kinda like when you laugh so hard you start coughing...
It may have something to do with the big breakfast I had...
There for a minute, I thought he was talking about terrorists. But, no; to Howlin' Howie, Republicans are a greater threat than airplane bombers and nuclear bombs.
Actual link to article.
http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/02/message_from_go.php
And according to a recent story...those millions are disappearing!
Keep on spending Howie!
Where was Teddy Kennedy last night???? He was no where to be seen last night. TOOOOOOOOOOOO much boos maybe????
You forgot to mention that he killed a girl, so I'll be sure to put it in.
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