Posted on 07/23/2003 11:57:29 PM PDT by kattracks
CNSNews.com) - A senior Republican congressman is chastising one of his Democratic colleagues for comments about the Bush administration's Iraq policy, saying critics of the president should make sure they have the facts right before giving campaign speeches.
Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.), chairman of both the House Policy Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, scolded House Minority Leader Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), saying Gephardt needed to "get his facts straight" after criticizing the administration's Iraq war policy.
Gephardt, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination and supporter on the war with Iraq, attacked President Bush's foreign policy Tuesday in a speech before the Bar Association of San Francisco.
In the speech, Gephardt said: "Foreign policy is not a John Wayne movie, where we catch the bad guys, hoist a few cold ones, and then everything fades to black." He blasted the Bush administration for what he called a show of "momentary machismo" and said America should not "go it alone" with Iraq.
Later that same day, Cox fired a broadside at Gephardt. "America did not go it alone," said Cox. "The only people suggesting that, having removed Saddam, we quit and 'hoist a few cold ones,' are the isolationist Democrats to whom Rep. Gephardt was apparently directing his San Francisco remarks."
Cox noted that 49 different nations played some role in the war against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, with contributions ranging from active military support and intelligence to specialized biological and chemical response teams, as well as humanitarian and reconstruction aid.
In his San Francisco remarks, Gephardt said America may have won the war in Iraq, but it was in serious danger of losing the peace.
"We've got 147,000 Americans there now; we're spending $4 billion a month in Iraq; it's not mere machismo to resist asking allies for help. It's absolute insanity," said Gephardt
But Cox responded in a statement, asking: "How many exercises of diplomacy...will be sufficient before Rep. Gephardt acknowledges that negotiating and waiting is what the U.S. did for far too long?"
Calls to Gephardt's campaign headquarters seeking comment on Cox's remarks were not returned.
Meanwhile, in a progress report on the war's aftermath Wednesday, President Bush said, "Nineteen nations are providing troops to help stabilize Iraq," and he urged all nations to contribute "militarily and financially" toward the goal of a democratic Iraq.
E-mail a news tip to Melissa Mullins.
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Uh Melissa, Gephart is no longer House Minority Leader! Note to Self: "When writing about getting facts straight, get facts straight!"
So goes the NYT, so goes the rest of them.
I just did. Told her she was a hack. ;D
I'll tell you what I find shocking-- the expanding percentage of the population that isn't bothered at all by the sloppiness. "It isn't important. It's not a big deal. At least she tried. What she MEANT to say, that's all that matters. Everyone makes mistakes, and we should ALL get away with them!"
Some Democrats claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war. They complain about his prosecution of it. One person recently claimed Bush was the worst president in U.S. history.
Let's clear up one point: We didn't start the war on terror. Try to remember--It was started by terrorists on 9/11. Let's look at the "worst" president and mismanagement claims.
FDR led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us: Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an average of 112,500 per year.
Truman finished that war and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of 18,333 per year.
John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us.
Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year.
Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. On the other hand, Clinton was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has now attacked us on multiple occasions.
In the two years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Lybia, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.
We lost 600 soldiers, an average of 300 a year. Bush did all this abroad while not allowing another terrorist attack at home.
Worst president in history? These lib/dems are out on a limb, and sawing it off from their side.
Correction, the war was started by the terrorists LONG before 9/11/01.
That was just the date that our leaders decided to fight back.
The above should have been a dead giveaway that my post was intended sarcastically. Evidently, it wasn't obvious enough.
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