Shocking Media Moment: Bob Woodward Says Democrats Voted for Iraq War

Newsbusters ^ | February 18, 2007 | Noel Sheppard

[Convert]

Shocking Media Moment: Bob Woodward Says Democrats Voted for Iraq War Posted by Noel Sheppard on February 18, 2007 - 13:22.

A sickeningly common theme asserted by media members around the country is that Iraq is “Bush’s war,” and that Democrats who voted for the resolution in October 2002 have no responsibility because they were supposedly misled by a president from a different political party.

Well, a fascinating event transpired on Sunday’s “Chris Matthews Show” as one high-ranking media member – the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward – fervently refuted this disingenuous media myth. And, maybe more shocking, CBS’s Gloria Borger agreed with him.

The panel was discussing the recent nonbinding resolutions voted on in Congress, when Bob Woodward said something that few in the media would dare utter with cameras rolling:

One of the things that we forget as we’re caught in the heat of the current debate: this is a legal war. The Congress three to one in 2002 said, gave Bush the right to go to war. He decided to do it. So, you know what really amazes me is that Bush, and Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid don’t get together and say, “We’ve got to come up with a bipartisan strategy and consensus on this.” We’re all in to a certain extent in this war. And we owe it to the troops.

Amazing. Matthews then asked: “Do you think the Democrats are willing to be party to this war, or they’re trying to get disengaged from it?”

Woodward shockingly responded: “They are a party to this war. They voted for it.”

Borger then said something maybe equally astounding:

They don’t want ownership of this war, Chris. I mean, I think the Democrats are trying to have it both ways. If you definitely cut off funding, then you have ownership of what comes next.

Moments later, the following remarkable discussion ensued:

Woodward: If everyone’s thinking about politics and not the troops on the ground. Those people are our surrogates, and we owe them everything, and we can’t even reach political consensus in this country.

Matthews: But what happens when you have a country that is so divided if you just poll regular people about this war, so much against this war, but yet the commander-in-chief is for the war. How do you reach a consensus between a majority who don’t want the war, and a president who wants one? How do you do it?

Woodward: I think that people have to rise above politics and party here. And, think, I’ve talked to these people who have come back from Iraq, and in communication with some there, and they wonder: “What the hell is going on in America? What? You know, we’re here, they sent us here. And we’re talking about cutting off funding.”

Extraordinary, Bob. Bravo!

[Txsleuth]

LOL...you are funny.

[oneamericanvoice]

"How do you reach a consensus between a majority who don’t want the war, and a president who wants one?"

The President was elected to make decisions regardless of popularity. The American people can't always have it their way, since they are not privy to all the facts given their sensitivity, nor are they authorities on the Middle East, or war. History shows that the majority is not always right as demonstrated in Nazi Germany, Vietnam, and Mao's China.

[Zeroisanumber]

LOL...you are funny.

You should see me dance.

[Convert]

Source?

does the President need authorization to negotiate?

did you happen to catch Kerry on the same stage with "talk to my shoe" Khatami?

[Txsleuth]

Good question...I think I will send that one right off to Chrissy....LOL

I just couldn't believe that question.

Of course he was SO disappointed that he couldn't get Engel to say that it would be better for Iraq and the world if the USA left Iraq right now...

That he just came up with the first inane question that popped in his head...


Later in the same show..he had on Ron Reagan and some others...and metioned that Prs. Bush didn't go to "President" George Washington's gravesite today...that Prs. Bush purposely went to "General" George Washington's grave....ostensibly to "try to compare himself with Gen. George Washington"..

Well...there was a lot of tee-heeing on the set..and oh, why doesn't Pres. Bush give up on the CIC thing...blech

[Brad from Tennessee]

Harry Truman's lonely but brave years in the White House are a testament to this. Korea gave him lower ratings than Bush.

[Brad from Tennessee]

Harry Truman's lonely but brave years in the White House are a testament to this. Korea gave him lower ratings than Bush.

[dirtbiker]

Gee, Bob, what can I say.

I guess even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then....

I bet Chrissy threw a hissy!

[Convert]

"Well then when will the world NOT see Americans killing Arabs again?"

how about the answer?

When polar bears live in Persia!

[Bahbah]

why doesn't Pres. Bush give up on the CIC thing.

Ummmm, thinking really hard here. Maybe because his is the CIC. Could that be it?

Poor Chris, he's having a bad week. Tony Snow gets interviewed just like the really important people by Russert, Woodward points out it's not Bush's war, Engel, who hates the war, won't say we should leave immediately. Poor Chrissy.

[STARWISE]

Dear God .... Chrissy: the question is when will Arabs stop killing Americans? Whattatotalassworm!

FYI ~~ the Washington Life 2007 Social Diary

Do a *control F* -- type in any name you're searching (which you can do with ANY document, spreadsheet, website).

Guess whose mugg is there? Melonhead himself

And Bella

And the "this-close-to-power" ~~ Jordans and Cohens

They have a photo directory, with an index of names; so, for example, I chose Andrea Mitchell, and you can see her in many lovely social settings.

I thought this was interesting

Maureen Orth, Tim Russert's wife, Vanity Fair writer, is on the left

The The main photo directory page

This is the Current Events Calendar,

where they'll be schmoozing, dancing, dining, mingling, plotting, shaping the news, making deals .. it truly is Beltway Incest Syndrome, and we, the people, are so trivial.

[Racer1]

Its the Democrats that are responsible for a big part of the division in this country about the war. They sunk low enough to use it to gain power. What a shameful display of greed. Treason to the max.

[R_Kangel]

"Woodward Says Democrats Voted for Iraq War."

He better retract his statement quickly before the public finds out that the democrats actually did vote for the war.

If the public ever found this out it could be disastrous, there would be panic in the streets.

[Convert]

Later in the same show..he had on Ron Reagan and some others.

ronjie and crissy dancing with cloned polar bears in the Persian Arctic

[A. Pole]

Source?

Just my memory - it was in the news (if I remember well)

does the President need authorization to negotiate?

No, but having ready authorization makes his negotiating position stronger.

[STARWISE]

Horse puckey ! There is NO comparison to the conspiracies and the diabolical web between the MSM, agenda-driven, leaking Clintonite govt. civil servants in place in our intelligence agencies, DOD, DOS and the Rats AND the Pubbies. I don't know where you've been the last 6 years.

[marblehead17]

ping

[HardStarboard]

I'm sure its on tape....but the braindead Republican National Committee would never use something this controversial in promoting Republican candidates -

It might get Arlen Specter and Lincoln Chaffee upset.

[Go Gordon]

How do you reach a consensus between a majority who don’t want the war, and a president who wants one?

The normally disgusting Matthews doesn't disappoint. He actually alleges that the President WANTS a war. Nobody WANTS a war. We were attacked and this President decided we weren't going to sit around and wait for another 1993/2001 WTC bombing. Liberalism is a mental disease.

[Christian4Bush]

Americans were 75-80% in favor of the Iraq War until (1) the DBM propagandized them 24/7/365 that it was hopeless, and (2) the DBM convinced them that it was all for oil, and (3) the DBM and the Demagogues lied shamelessly and endlessly about everything to do with WMDs, the 13 year run-up to the war, etc. etc.

Don't forget what I think is one of the more important factors: this vote on a Joint House Resolution was taken roughly one month before a midterm election in which all HORs (Republican led) and a third of the Senators (Democrat led) were up for election/reelection. This was the Democrats one chance to get on record as being strong on national defense.

When they not only didn't regain the House, but they lost the Senate, the cries of quagmire started...before one shot was fired. Everything that these same Democrats said when BJ Bill Clinton wagged the dog during impeachment, was forgotten.