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Excelsyor

(57 posts) Mon Mar 3, 2014, 04:19 PM Mar 2014

On the excuse that Kerry really hated the Iraq invasion because he wanted diplomacy [View all]

The issue of Kerry and the Iraq War has come up recently as he tells Putin to stop invading other countries. Those who defend John Kerry's vote in 2002 for the authorization to invade Iraq argue the following:

That Kerry really disagreed with the invasion of Iraq in 2003 because Kerry wanted diplomacy first.

But this argument falls flat when we see what Kerry said in a debate during Howard Dean two months after the invasion (May, 2003), even after stating in the same sentence he thought diplomacy was important:

"KERRY: I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the president made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him."
http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/Dems_Columbia_SC_John_Kerry.htm

Kerry apologists pretend that his position was something like, (WTF, Bush, I told you to use diplomacy and you didn't! I do not like the fact that you invaded Iraq you impulsive impatient you!"

But Kerry supported the invasion. His desire for diplomacy did not cause him to withdraw support for it.

Kerry screwd up big time.

It is no wonder that independent fact-checkers have rejected Kerry's revisionist attempt to wash his hands.

http://www.factcheck.org/2013/09/kerry-spins-his-record-on-iraq/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/sep/13/john-kerry/secretary-state-john-kerry-says-senator-he-opposed/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2013/09/10/kerrys-claim-that-he-opposed-bushs-invasion-of-iraq/

90 replies

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On the excuse that Kerry really hated the Iraq invasion because he wanted diplomacy [View all] Excelsyor Mar 2014 OP

They ALL (virtually) 'supported' the decision, elleng Mar 2014 #1

And why I worked on Russ Feingold's campaign. He was the ONLY US Senator to vote "no". Scuba Mar 2014 #23

No he wasn't dsc Mar 2014 #83

You are correct. It was the Patriot Act that Russ voted no on all by himself. Scuba Mar 2014 #86

no problem that makes sense dsc Mar 2014 #87

I was also a Wes Clark supporter. I was disappointed not only that his tblue37 Mar 2014 #42

Yes, tblue, elleng Mar 2014 #47

Well hello there Excelsyor!!! What's the point of your post? Avalux Mar 2014 #2

probably those independant minded folks at newsmax or something... dionysus Mar 2014 #3

Political expediency? Or, stupidity? Either way, he was wrong. Tierra_y_Libertad Mar 2014 #4

The press was notoriously wrong about Kerry's position. He voted for IWR and when weapon inspectors blm Mar 2014 #5

One post has links while the other does not Fumesucker Mar 2014 #6

"It is no wonder that independent fact-checkers have rejected Kerry's revisionist attempt" ProSense Mar 2014 #8

I quit clicking on your links a long time ago, you wasted my time too often Fumesucker Mar 2014 #12

+1 bahrbearian Mar 2014 #48

Now, you know that's not the case ProSense Mar 2014 #50

Try believing the truth - not corpmedia revisionists protecting Bush WH in an election year. blm Mar 2014 #21

There were some Democrats who voted consistently against invading Iraq, they weren't fooled by Dubya Fumesucker Mar 2014 #25

Wasn't a matter of being fooled - it was a matter of Bush not adhering to guidelines. blm Mar 2014 #33

By 2003 anyone who didn't know Dubya was going to do what he wanted to do was a fool Fumesucker Mar 2014 #51

The vote was Oct2002 - Kerry sided with the inspectors and AGAINST invasion publicly. blm Mar 2014 #89

Wait ProSense Mar 2014 #39

The Iraq war was the greatest foreign policy debacle since Viet Nam Fumesucker Mar 2014 #55

Yes, Bush really fucked up. Continue giving him a pass for lying. n/t ProSense Mar 2014 #56

a massive success. but he could not have done it alone. reddread Mar 2014 #63

I have plenty of posts on DU critical of Der Chimpenfuhrer, Dim Son, C+ Augustus Fumesucker Mar 2014 #70

Thanks for posting what is one of the hardest to find Dean Sunday talk shows karynnj Mar 2014 #28

More truth that will certainly be ignored.... blm Mar 2014 #29

That is the "weasel out" that many Dems tried to use after voting FOR: bvar22 Mar 2014 #11

I immediately discount anything someone with a Guy Fawkes avatar has to say Pretzel_Warrior Mar 2014 #20

And that is your problem. bvar22 Mar 2014 #24

Isn't there a fallacy that describes your logic? Excelsyor Mar 2014 #30

Yes. It's called, "Discounting opinions of people who identify with terrorists" fallacy. Pretzel_Warrior Mar 2014 #31

It's the 'I don't like to hear facts about courageous Democrats who really did vote againt Bluenorthwest Mar 2014 #38

Authorization for Use of Military Force in Afghanistan ProSense Mar 2014 #27

Thank You! Those of us who watched Senators Byrd and Kennedy on the KoKo Mar 2014 #34

Thank you. n/t freshwest Mar 2014 #88

Well, ProSense Mar 2014 #7

so what? Pretzel_Warrior Mar 2014 #9

Dubya is also an outlaw that should be held accountable Fumesucker Mar 2014 #13

again, irrelevant to the current situation. Pretzel_Warrior Mar 2014 #14

Not irrelevant to our outrage though Fumesucker Mar 2014 #17

no. it is relevant to your outrage and that is about it. Pretzel_Warrior Mar 2014 #18

Actually he should shut the fuck up and say nothing Fumesucker Mar 2014 #22

Because I'd like the U.S. to lead diplomatic negotiations to get Russian soldiers the fuck out of Pretzel_Warrior Mar 2014 #26

Thanks to his history Kerry simply isn't a credible intermediary in this matter Fumesucker Mar 2014 #53

well, he is credible and will somehow trudge forward in his role despite your protests Pretzel_Warrior Mar 2014 #54

Why, because he has effected this nation's history more positively than you or millions of others, blm Mar 2014 #90

And that wasn't even the worst blunder Kerry made either quinnox Mar 2014 #10

but he should get credit for launching an entire political flip flop meme Pretzel_Warrior Mar 2014 #15

lol, true! quinnox Mar 2014 #16

Then as now ProSense Mar 2014 #19

So you side with RW narrative about that, quinnox? ALL votes are FOR a version of a bill you prefer blm Mar 2014 #37

well done! cali Mar 2014 #32

Hillary tops Christie by 2% in Virginia (poll) ProSense Mar 2014 #35

I said back then that I would never vote in the primary for any cali Mar 2014 #40

No, the OP is BS, calcal ProSense Mar 2014 #41

no, propro, I don't know why you cited the thread. and come to think of cali Mar 2014 #59

LOL! ProSense Mar 2014 #62

Patrick Leahy also supported disarming Saddam ProSense Mar 2014 #44

You are twistin the facts completely and insinuating something totally false cali Mar 2014 #57

Did Leahy believe Saddam had WMD? ProSense Mar 2014 #64

and? cali Mar 2014 #66

Did he believe Bush's lie? n/t ProSense Mar 2014 #67

The Bush admin had damn near the whole country fooled on Iraq at first. phleshdef Mar 2014 #36

23 Senators and 132 House Members were not fooled and voted agains it. Bluenorthwest Mar 2014 #43

President Obama ProSense Mar 2014 #46

Thats not much of an opposition in the Senate or the House. phleshdef Mar 2014 #49

It's about a quarter of the combined chambers, and more than enough to nix claims of Bluenorthwest Mar 2014 #52

I never said universally duped. But 70 votes in favor of something is definitely stepping into... phleshdef Mar 2014 #73

who's pretending that? I was disgusted then and I'm disgusted now. cali Mar 2014 #45

The only people that were fooled into believing Iraq had WMD, was the RWing spin machine. Rex Mar 2014 #60

No they did not. Rex Mar 2014 #58

Horse shit. Something like 72% of the American public was behind it in the beginning. phleshdef Mar 2014 #71

Authoritarians are foaming at the mouth over this obvious reference. Rex Mar 2014 #61

No, people with good sense aren't buying the RW BS mischaracterization. n/t ProSense Mar 2014 #65

Kerry deluded himself to the meaning of the 2002 Iraq Resolution Bad Thoughts Mar 2014 #68

Not so frazzled Mar 2014 #76

I saw it Bad Thoughts Mar 2014 #77

Anyone who thought they could trust Bush with that kind of authority was not fit for public office, sabrina 1 Mar 2014 #69

It's a good thing ProSense Mar 2014 #72

Leave Harkin ALONE!!! Pretzel_Warrior Mar 2014 #74

Is he in NY, did he run for President? Not sure why you think that alters anything I said. sabrina 1 Mar 2014 #79

"Anyone who thought they could trust Bush with that kind of authority was not fit for public office" ProSense Mar 2014 #80

Yes, Kerry supported the invasion (with another link) frazzled Mar 2014 #75

Oh brother. This ProSense Mar 2014 #78

Yeah, and then it says "That said ..." frazzled Mar 2014 #81

Kerry a few weeks later: ProSense Mar 2014 #82

No, end of discussion: deal with what he said frazzled Mar 2014 #84

I know what he said, but you seem to want to ignore parts of his statement and ProSense Mar 2014 #85