The Patriot Post® · The Marriage of the Media and the Democrats With Iraq

By Norm McDonald ·
https://patriotpost.us/commentary/35368-the-marriage-of-the-media-and-the-democrats-with-iraq-2015-05-22

The media are at it again with their obvious biases. The complicit and corrupt media are so in bed with the Democrats, their utter lack of self-awareness is staggering. With the Stephanopoulos scandals, the excusing of the Benghazi fiasco, the total blackout of the IRS targeting scandals, the mainstream media are showing their true stripes, but only for those who actually look. However in this piece I am focusing on the constant pit bulling of the GOP presidential candidates with the question, “Knowing what we know now, would you have gone into Iraq?” Note that almost none of these media hacks have asked the noted Democrat candidate and media darling, Hillary Clinton, this same question, although she voted for the war and opined with the strongest rhetoric for the take down of Saddam Hussein in 2002.

The Democrats came out in about 2004 (again in 2008, 2014 and to this day) in the run up to the election, wailing about how they were against ever going into Iraq, simply ignoring the record of most of them voting for the intervention in Iraq in October 2002. And the complicit Democrat loving press were right with them using the argument that none of them had the intelligence the administration had. Nonsense. Al Gore was VP up until nine months prior to 9/11. Hillary was an active member of the Clinton administration, and there were dozens of Democrats on the various security related committees up to and including the time of the invasion. And I quote:

“[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 Democratic Senators 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

“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 Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

“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

"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

And as of this day, 13 years after Iraqi Freedom, these same lying and hypocritical Democrats are denying ever supporting taking down Saddam. This is a direct betrayal of those American men and women who served honorably in the years of the Iraq operation. The media, most of the Democrat politicians and the Left in America are methodically throwing away another entire generation of American veterans while touting the theme, “We need more money for the veterans!” Fine, that may be true, but how about honoring their sacrifice by supporting what they worked so hard to do; this doesn’t cost a dime.

In my opinion, the most egregious talking point on the Left in America is the phrase, “Bush and Cheney are war criminals.” Post WWII, we never let the German soldiers or the German police off with the excuse “we were just taking orders.” These soldiers were often accused and even prosecuted for crimes their leaders had ordered them to do. By calling G. W. Bush a war criminal, these left wingers are directly calling our American soldiers war criminals. This sort of rhetoric against Nixon led to the verbal and physical attacks on American soldiers returning from Vietnam. And I and about a half million surviving Vietnam Veterans will not have history repeat itself, no matter how the Democrats and the media try to sugar coat their “support” for the troops.

I will never believe that our soldiers in Iraq or any other place, for that matter, sacrificed in vain, no matter what the circumstances. I refuse to throw away another generation of American military just because I happen to not like whomever the current administration in power. I will always answer to those who say Operation Iraqi Freedom was all a waste of American treasure with the truth behind that war and the continuing operations in the Middle East.