Ah, the comfortable vantage point of hindsight. The AP, that venerable guardian of truth, is reporting:
U.S. intelligence analysts predicted, in two papers widely circulated before the 2003 Iraq invasion, that al-Qaida would see that as an opportunity to increase its operations and that Iran would try to shape the post-Saddam era.
Shocking news! No one could have imagined that in the march up to war. No one in our political leadership that is, right? And no one who knew that would have voted for the war, right? And no one who knew that post facto, would have voted to fund the war without deadlines or benchmarks, right?
Wrong:
Democrats said the documents, part of a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation released Friday, make clear that the Bush administration was warned about the challenges it now faces as it tries to stabilize Iraq.
“Sadly, the administration’s refusal to heed these dire warnings — and worse, to plan for them — has led to tragic consequences for which our nation is paying a terrible price,” said Senate Intelligence Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.
Oh Senator Rockefeller, did you heed those warning when you voted Aye yesterday? Along with co-conspirators like your Leader, Reid? And that marvelous cast of traitors who voted for the MCA bill like yourself, Sen. Salazar and Sen. Landrieu, among others?
Your belated call for action of Bush’s so-called lack of foresight, one day after your betrayal of your own integrity and right to call question on those of others, is peverse. Do you think, now after all that, your party’s base will stand by your side so we can watch you let us down again and again? Wrong, Senator. Sure you’re not the Republicans who got us into this war, but you sure aren’t doing damned much good about getting us out — only crowing post facto like you have ground upon which to stand.
Shame on you and your ilk.
First it was Lieberman, but now THIRTY FIVE of you? We have long memories, Senator, we gave are all to YOUR party, but now, sir, it will be our party, and your kind are on the way out. First you gave our civil liberties away in the blank check known as the Patriot Act, then you gave the Supreme Court another lunatic without a fight, then you meekly submitted to a bill that robbed Americans of their habeas corpus right, and then you stuck Americans and their families in a War we demanded as a nation that you end.
So, so long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, monsieur Quisling.
And heed my words, for they are the words that are backed by many activists: if you get in our way, and fight those who gave their heart and soul to give you the power to make substantial change and stand ground as Americans with values, we will run you off the road or squish you like roadkill.
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UPDATED:
I received an email from the Barbara Boxer campaign and I was thinking about it in relationship to this diary. I was very disappointed in Sen. Boxer when she campaigned for Joe Lieberman. I remember seeing a video of reporters following both of them around and she came across very poorly.
But as I’ve mentioned in comments elsewhere online, hypocrisy can be shifted by a simple acknowledgement of fault and a demonstration that one’s position has evolved to match an electorate based on principle and not on pandering. There are numerous examples of leaders who have done this throughout history and we should be capable as an electorate to adapt our mindsets when someone comes around and sincerely joins our cause.
Here’s Sen. Boxer’s email that reiterates much of what she said on DKos yesterday, but I wanted to post it as a companion to my “scathing indictment” of senators like Sen. Rockefeller who have betrayed us as Democrats consistently time and time again.
Yesterday, I voted “No” on the Iraq war funding bill. I want to share with you the remarks I made on the Senate floor.
Senator Boxer’s Floor Speech
May 24, 2007In March and in April I voted for emergency spending legislation that would have fully funded our troops in Iraq, but also changed their mission to a sound one. That mission would have taken our troops out of the middle of a civil war, and put them into a support role, training Iraqi soldiers and police, fighting al Qaeda, and protecting our troops.
The President will not agree to that.
As a matter of fact, the President won’t agree to any change in strategy in Iraq, and that is more than a shame for the American people; it is a tragedy.
It doesn’t seem to matter how many Americans die in Iraq, how many funerals we have here at home, or what the American people think. The President won’t budge.
This new bill on Iraq keeps the status quo. With a few frills around the outside, a few reports, a few words about benchmarks. While our troops die.
I understand why this particular legislation is before us today. It’s because this President wants to continue his one man show in Iraq. The President doesn’t respect this Congress or the American people when it comes to Iraq. He wants to brush us all off like some annoying spot on his jacket.
We have lost 3,427 American soldiers in Iraq. Of those, 731 (21%) have been from California or based in California. There are 25,549 American soldiers wounded.
And today, after several days of worrying and praying, we received the tragic news of the death of Private Joseph J. Anzack JR., 20 years old, of Torrance, California, who was abducted during a deadly ambush south of Baghdad almost two weeks ago.
One member of his platoon, Spc. Daniel Seitz, summed it up this way to the Associated Press: “It just angers me that it’s just another friend I’ve got to lose and deal with, because I’ve already lost 13 friends since I’ve been here, and I don’t know if I can take any more of this.”
And he shouldn’t have to. But with this bill, he will.
The first half of this year has already been deadlier than any six-month period since the war began more than four years ago.
In this month alone, 83 U.S. Service members have already been killed in Iraq.
Let me be clear, there are many things in this bill that I strongly support–many provisions that I actually fought for, for our troops, for our veterans, for our farmers, and for the victims of Hurricane Katrina–but I must take a stand against this Iraq war, and therefore I will vote no on this emergency spending bill.
Together, we will end this war. We may not have won yesterday’s vote, and I’m very disappointed that we didn’t, but with your help, that day is coming soon.
In Friendship,
Barbara Boxer
U.S. Senator
