DEMOCRAT CRITIQUE OF BUSH'S SPEECH IS FALSE: Congressional Resolution HR RES #114 - authorizing war on Saddam - cited BOTH 9/11 and al Qaeda

Many Lefties and Democrats - like Senators Boxer and Rockefeller and Dodd and Feingold and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Pelosi and DNC Chairman Howeird Dean - have critized Bush's speech last might because it - in their opinion - incorrectly conflated 9/11 & al Qaeda with Saddam and Iraq, AND incorrectly argued that the War in Iraq is-or-ever-was part of the GWOT.

They further argued that Bush was cynically USING 9/11 to shore up public support for him and the war in Iraq.

What is so mind boggling to me is that both 9/11 and al Qaeda WERE IN THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION CONGRESS PASSED TO AUTHORIZE THE WAR. I quote:

PARAGRAPHS #10, 11 and 12 - (AS PASSED):

" ... Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq;

Whereas Iraq continues to aid and harbor other international terrorist organizations, including organizations that threaten the lives and safety of United States citizens;

Whereas the attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001, underscored the gravity of the threat posed by the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by international terrorist organizations; ..."

IN FACT, the resolution was exactly correct in this regard: many terrorists and terrorist organizations WERE given safe-haven in Iraq: Abu Nidal, Abu Zarqawi; and Ansar al Islam and al Qaeda - were but a few of the many. Zarqawi - who is leading al Qaeda in Iraq now was there at least a year BEFORE THE WAR!

For the Left-wing Democrats to claim NOW that Bush is "once again changing his reasons for getting us stuck in a 'quagmire' of Iraq" is an idiotic LIE. And it's pure assinine demagoguery. That the MSM buys it and promotes it UNCRITICALLY only proves that they are still dominated by the Left. (The above link listing the offending Democrats is to the NYTIMES - which did NOT critique the Dems charges; neither did "REUTERS" in their article on the BASELESS Democrat charges against Bush - in fact: they made it their headline!)

Bush and Joint Resolution #114 (and UNSC Resolution 1441) offered many reasons for confronting Saddam with force - and AT THE TIME THE CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION PASSED these included 9/11 and al Qaeda AND and this Congressional Resolution and the UNSC Resolution even included the spread of democracy! (QUOTE: Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-338) expressed the sense of Congress that it should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove from power the current Iraqi regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime; " [HR #144; paragraph #18 (same link as above)].)

Before 9/11, there were MANY terrorist attacks against the USA (most on Clinton's watch): 1993 WTC attack; the twin African embassy bombings; the BLACKHAWK down in Somalia; and the USS Cole attack. Unfortunately, Clinton NEVER went on the offensive after any one of these attacks, and by appearing WEAK Clinton sent the signal to UBL and al Qaeda and neojihadists everywhere that the USA was weak and could be terrorized into submission.

But 9/11 changed things in the GOP - and for MOST Americans. POST 9/11 - and with a Republican in the White House and controlling Congress - America will NEVER appease or surrender to the ENEMY. Or "cut & run" by setting an artificial deadline for withdrawal. And most Americans have ALWAYS seen the War against Saddam and our current

"counter-insurgency" as part of the GWOT.

The Democrats apparently do not see it that way. And they are willing to "revise" history - and LIE - in order to promote their view that the Iraq War is and was a mistake and a diversion (AND THAT THEY ALWAYS SAW IT THAT WAY!).

I think that today's Democrats are correctly seen as "doves" who don't have the stomach for war. Unless and until the Democrats are seen as being as hawkish as the post-9/11 GOP, the Dems will NEVER get control of either the White House or Congress.

Thank God.

UPDATE: Great minds think alike: Mark Levin at NRO posted the same critique of the "anti-war" Lefties and the Dems and MSM they dominate.

UPDATE# 2: Welcome POLIPUNDIT and MUDVILLE GAZETTE and BETSY'S PAGE AND BASIL'S BLOG AND THE ANCHORESS READERS!