Kennedy Says Case for Iraq War Was Fraud

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&e=6&u=/ap/20030918/ap_on_go_co/kennedy_iraq_1 ^

[FortWorthPatriot]

Kennedy Says Case for Iraq War Was Fraud

By STEVE LeBLANC, Associated Press Writer

BOSTON - The case for going to war against Iraq was a fraud "made up in Texas" to give Republicans a political boost, Sen. Edward Kennedy said Thursday.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Kennedy also said the Bush administration has failed to account for nearly half of the $4 billion the war is costing each month. He said he believes much of the unaccounted-for money is being used to bribe foreign leaders to send in troops.

He called the Bush administration's current Iraq policy "adrift."

The Massachusetts Democrat expressed doubts about how serious a threat Saddam Hussein posed to the United States in its battle against terrorism. He said administration officials relied on "distortion, misrepresentation, a selection of intelligence" to justify their case for war.

"There was no imminent threat. This was made up in Texas, announced in January to the Republican leadership that war was going to take place and was going to be good politically. This whole thing was a fraud," Kennedy said.

Kennedy said a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office showed that only about $2.5 billion of the $4 billion being spent monthly on the war can be accounted for by the Bush administration.

"My belief is this money is being shuffled all around to these political leaders in all parts of the world, bribing them to send in troops," he said.

Of the $87 billion in new money requested by President Bush for the war, Kennedy said the administration should be required to report back to the Congress to account for the spending.

"We want to support our troops because they didn't make the decision to go there ... but I don't think it should be open-ended. We ought to have a benchmark where the administration has to come back and give us a report," he added.

Kennedy said the focus on Iraq has drawn the nation's attention away from more direct threats, including al-Qaida, instability in Afghanistan or the nuclear ambitions of North Korea.

"I think all of those pose a threat to the security of the people of Massachusetts much more than the threat from Iraq," Kennedy said. "Terror has been put on the sidelines for the last 12 months."

[FortWorthPatriot]

This guy is really something. Was he drunk when he said all this sh@t?!

[FortWorthPatriot]

"My belief is this money is being shuffled all around to these political leaders in all parts of the world, bribing them to send in troops," he said.

What an asinine statement.

[HungarianGypsy]

I say, "Kennedy is a fraud!"

[CasearianDaoist]

I cannot tell you the number of liberal I talk to the think the whole WOT - not just Iraq - is a Republican "marketing ploy." They hate the Republicans more than they love the country. I hate the think what will happen if they win in 04.

[Shermy]

Did Bush ever say that Saddam was an imminent threat to America?

I don't think so.

[Argus]

This fat, drunken rapist/murderer should be in prison, not the Senate. He is where he is, and not where he should be, because of his family's name and money. That's all.

[isthisnickcool]

Ted Kennedy? Huck Fim!~

[rickmichaels]

Kennedy also said the Bush administration has failed to account for nearly half of the $4 billion the war is costing each month.

How much does it cost an alcoholic to drown a woman and get away with it?

[GreatOne]

Exactly - even in the supposed "civilized" world of the Senate, I wish there'd be someone with the guts to stand up and attack Fat Bastard when he says things like this. I'm not talking about his normal, everyday advocacy for socialism, just his nutjob screeds. Should've been done during the Bork hearings, that's for sure: "He'll take away your rights and force women into back alleys." "Better a back alley than a submerged vehicle, right Ted?"

[Gritty]

Kennedy ought to know all about "fraud". It's what got him off the hook for "manslaughter", at a minumum.

He and his entire rotten family have afflicted us all for decades.

[Judith Anne]

About a hundred and fifty thousand, as I recall he paid to Mary Jo's family.

[plain talk]

I think if the WH is asked about it, they should challenge him to put up or shut up. If he has evidence of his charges, put them out there - otherwise tell Mr. Kennedy to shut up.

[JOE6PAK]

Mary Jo

1940-1969

We should spam the squm~bags E-mail everyday with this.

[FortWorthPatriot]

He and his entire rotten family have afflicted us all for decades.

Ain't that the truth! I'm so sick and tired of hearing about the great Kennedy family and how they "dedicated" themselves to public service for all these years.

Public service, my a$$.

[FortWorthPatriot]

He and his entire rotten family have afflicted us all for decades.

Ain't that the truth! I'm so sick and tired of hearing about the great Kennedy family and how they "dedicated" themselves to public service for all these years.

Public service, my a$$.

[FortWorthPatriot]

He and his entire rotten family have afflicted us all for decades.

Ain't that the truth! I'm so sick and tired of hearing about the great Kennedy family and how they "dedicated" themselves to public service for all these years.

Public service, my a$$.

[Spok]

The man knows whereof he speaks when it comes to fraud-'easy as driving a car off a bridge'.

[FortWorthPatriot]

Oooops. Sorry about the multiple posts!!

My 'puter had a brain freeze and I must have pushed the "Post" button one too many times.

My apologies for wasting bandwidth.

[brewcrew]

My guns have killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car.

[Astronaut]

Send an email to the fat old drunken demagogue at senator@kennedy.senate.gov and let him know what you think. I did. I didn't mention Mary Jo Kopechne because I figured he gets so much email about the woman he murdered, his email filter would just send it to the trash. I want one of his flunkies to read what I wrote! It makes me sick how this old drunken socialist plays off the memory of this dead brothers to get a free pass on everything, and guilt the morons in MA into re-electing him over and over again.