I think Mr. Wilson did a great sevice to our country by exposing the false claims made by the Bush administration during the lead up to war. I would think that conservatives would rally around someone with the courage to do just that, just as they did when Linda Tripp became a hero for her exposure of Mr. Clinton's lies. The double standard that so-called conservatives display on this forum is incredible.
It's interesting how everyone forgets what was said by whom:
"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 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 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 Sens. 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 mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the 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
What false claims? That Iraq had tried to purchase uranium from Africa? You must have missed the Senate Intelligence report...
"I think Mr. Wilson did a great sevice to our country by exposing the false claims made by the Bush administration during the lead up to war. I would think that conservatives would rally around someone with the courage to do just that, just as they did when Linda Tripp became a hero for her exposure of Mr. Clinton's lies. The double standard that so-called conservatives display on this forum is incredible."
The only problem with your comment is that the story Wilson shouted to the world has been documented as a lie. British Intel stands by the yellowcake story to this day and the Senate Intel committee concluded that the Wilson trip essentially supported Iraqi interest in obtaining uranium from Niger. The other night on Larry King, Bob Woodward used this information to slap down Chris Dodd, who was spouting the Wilson lie. Dodd's non-rebuttal was that it was a complex issue.
Wilson may be a hero to the Left, but in reality he is proven to be a propogandist, an opportunist, and a treasonous liar. And the Dim party, aided by the MSM, continues to perpetuate his dishonesty.
LOL... So Joe Wilson checking into a hotel and "sipping sweet tea" for a week while visiting with his old cronies constitutes hard positive intelligence that we must use to guide US foreign policy with?
Thank goodness the adults are in charge!
What planet are you on?? Nearly everything about Wilson's account has been exposed as fraudulent, from his account of how the trip came about to what he "didn't find" there to what he said about it afterwards. Far from acting as any brave whistleblower, he has badly distorted our politics with lies and defamed many people who are far better human beings than frauds like Joe Wilson and Valerie Pflame. Libby will have to deal with any legal jeopardy he has incurred, but Libby was simply trying to answer the lies of a pompous gasbag - the problem was that Wilson's wife was involved from before the Niger trip even took place, and it was impossible to explain the true story without reference to her. What Libby should have done is leaned on Tenet to produce the fullest possible public statement - a version of which occurred right after the Novak article appeared.