Congressional Reaction to UN/Powell Testimony

Fox, CNN, News | Feb. 5, 2003 | Various

[Peach]

Post any public comments you hear from Congress here.

[Peach]

I notice Daschle isn't rushing to the cameras. Where is he?

[Frank_Discussion]

Banging on the doors of the "Secret Government".

[RooRoobird14]

LOL, Tiny Tom is busy changing his shorts right now.

[Wphile]

I think Biden's on board. He was on CSPAN but I can't stand to listen to him. He was on board before, actually, so I can only imagine the Powell speech emboldened him.

[YaYa123]

Thanks for this thread...I'll be interested in comments from elected democrats most of all. Here's something I posted on the "speech" thread a few moments ago.

"Bill Press on MSNBC just said democrat senators are folding...Joe Biden, Diane Feinstein. "We're going to war", he said.

I hope these democrat senators he's talking about will hit the microphones this afternoon...in time for the evening news.

and on that Senate filibuster promised on another thread, over the nomination of Estrada. What a great day for democrat senators to try and pull this off..while they won't get lots of attention for this blatant display of obstruction."

[AmericanInTokyo]

LOL, Tiny Tom is busy changing his shorts right now.

LOL! Checking into a hospital for a bad case of "PPSSMDS"

"Post Powell Speech Skid Mark Depression Syndrome"

[OldFriend]

Is the Senate fillibustering on Estrada?

I fear they are going to go after Pickering with all the hatred they can muster, especially since they are on the losing side of EVERY other issue.

[Puddleglum]

Tommy Boy has to wait until Hillary tells him what to say. He is her little wooden boy.

[YaYa123]

C-span 2 is finally showing that the Senate is in session. Elizabeth Dole is residing. Hot dang...good to see her!!!

I think it's a short session of Tribute to Columbia astronauts. Not surprising that Bill Nelson has the microphone!!! Jeez..the man just won't shut up.

now they're voting to accept the Tribute. fingers crossed they get down to real business soon!

[Quilla]

I don't think they're all going to fold, YaYa. They don't have a single policy issue to present Americans. Their sole existance within government today is comprised of bashing President Bush. I would be pleasantly disappointed if Daschle didn's share his disappointment with us.

[finnman69]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=540&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20030205/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq

Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said Powell had "a tougher jury" than a prosecutor would have encountered. But he said the secretary's case against Iraq was "very powerful and I think irrefutable."

[fight_truth_decay]

How did you like (I know is off the subject but..) the warmth of the Iraqi ambassador Mohammed "Comb-Over" Aldouri's tone in quoting the much beloved New York Times to support "We have no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq"? Syria is referring to the Times too! NY Times said with (CIA)official statements supporting Iraq.. no evidence of weapons of mass destruction.

[finnman69]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/02/05/sprj.irq.powell.us.reax/index.html

Lawmakers hope presentation will sway skeptics
Biden stresses long-term commitment in Iraq

WASHINGTON (CNN) --Leading lawmakers expressed hope Wednesday that Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations will convince skeptical nations that Iraq is defying disarmament resolutions and that they must be willing to confront Saddam Hussein by military force, if necessary.

Powell's presentation won praise from Democrats and Republicans, but some lawmakers stressed that the Bush administration needs to better prepare the American public for the sacrifices and commitment that a war with Iraq would likely involve.

"I think Secretary Powell made a very powerful and, I think, irrefutable case today before the Security Council," Sen. Joseph Biden, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters after the 90-minute-long presentation.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert said Powell's presentation had unveiled "the true nature" of Saddam's regime.

"The evidence proves that Saddam Hussein has a loaded gun pointed at the civilized world," Hastert said in a statement. "It is time to take that loaded gun away from this evil tyrant."

Biden, D-Delaware, said the evidence confirms what he already knew and believed "for some time now" -- that Saddam is harboring and trying to get more weapons of mass destruction. The senator called on the Security Council now to "live up to its responsibilities" and said that the choice of war or peace was Saddam's.

Biden stressed that President Bush needs to do a better job of preparing the American public for a long-term commitment of U.S. armed forces in Iraq. Many people, Biden said, believe a military strike against Iraq would be "bloodless" and that U.S. troops would return home quickly.

"Johnny will not come marching home. We will be required to stay in-country with tens of

thousands of forces for an extended period of time," Biden said, adding that such an endeavor would cost billions of dollars.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, said the administration had made a "very powerful case" against Iraq and expressed optimism that it would sway world opinion against the regime of Saddam.

"Yup, it should," Lugar said, speaking before Powell's presentation but after a breakfast meeting at the White House, where Bush briefed leading lawmakers.

Talking about European nations, Biden said he hoped Powell's presentation would "embolden leaders who have been reluctant to risk any political capital" to make the case for military action against Iraq.

The White House breakfast meeting, which lasted about an hour and a half, was opened by the president, who then turned the floor over to National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, who summarized the case Powell will make at the United Nations.

Many members of Congress, particularly Democrats, have been calling on the administration to make a clearer case that Saddam poses a threat to the United States and the world before the president sends troops in to topple him.

Rep. Jane Harman, D-California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said she is pleased the administration will get "beyond the rhetoric." She said Rice's summary made clear that Powell will "finally give some facts" in the form of a "legal brief."

The members of Congress attending the White House meeting included House and Senate leadership from both parties and chairmen and ranking members of Foreign Relations, Intelligence and Armed Services committees.

[Wphile]

The NYT must be so proud...

Iraq and Syria quoting it. LOL!

The New York Times...the paper of record - NOT!

[finnman69]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-iraq-quote-box0205feb05,0,5277587.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dnationworld%2Dheadlines

U.S. Iraq Quotes
By The Associated Press

February 5, 2003, 2:07 PM EST

"The evidence proves that Saddam Hussein has a loaded gun pointed at the civilized world. It is time to take that loaded gun away from this evil tyrant." -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

* __

"By going to the United Nations, he (Powell) has made this the world's problem, and not just the problem of the United States of America. The question now is will the Security Council live up to its responsibility." _Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

* __

"For Saddam Hussein's appeasers, no showing of diabolical crimes, documented militarism, and pursuit of mass terror weapons will ever constitute sufficient, so-called 'evidence' to confront his tyrannical regime. For people of common sense, no such additional evidence is needed: terrorists and terror states have to be eliminated." -- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

* __

"Saddam has ignored repeated warnings from the United States and from the international community that he must disarm or face war. We must now demonstrate to those who would harm us that our warnings are not empty words and that we will act decisively to defend ourselves." -- Rep Henry Hyde, R-Ill., chairman of House International Relations Committee.

* __

Powell's argument "should convince all Security Council members to support a second U.N. resolution authorizing the use of force. ... The the world can see a pattern of deception and concealment on the part of Iraq" and "also gave clear evidence of Iraq's connection with al Qaida." -- Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, top Democrat on Armed Services Committee.

* __

"People who have seen that evidence and still say, 'I'm still not convinced,' those people are hanging back for political reasons, and not for evidentiary reasons. ... There are some people who don't want to be convinced because they can't politically take the position that the United States is right." -- Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

* __

"After today, no one can deny that Iraq is in material breach of U.N. Resolution 1441. ... We have said all along that if Iraq does not disarm itself, we will do so by force. We now have the proof that Iraq will not do so peacefully."_ Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo.

[Peach]

Excellent; I like to see Dems fold. Wish we could get this lying sack of **** off the air and let the Dems fall all over themselves trying to reinvent themselves once again.

[Peach]

Ping. Post any comments you hear from our Congressional friends here.

[Davis]

I found Daschle, he's here hiding in his office.

[Peach]

Tomorrow Powell is testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; that's when we'll see the real fun begin. I don't know if it's closed session or not, but my guess is closed.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Bottom line...

The Dems have been aware of 90% of this for over a year. (Since the Axis of Evil Comment) However, most never believed it would see the light of day. Now they are boxed in with no place to go. Feinswine said they hadn't seen this before. I for one don't believe her.