The reason we're still fighting a pitched battle over the IWR: Revisionist History

[wiggs]

47. Congress had a second shot at making clear its intentions. You may remember that

the administration was required to submit evidence, findings, proof, etc to congress that Iraq posed an immediate threat and that Iraq could be tied to 9/11. The administration did submit a short letter...a very short letter....stating that Iraq was an immediate threat and that Iraq was tied to 9/11. No findings, no proof, no evidence. Just a statement. And congress (and the media) let it stand, just before the first strikes began.

RFK Jr wrote about it in Crimes Against Nature (IIRC).

It may have been reasonable to think that some 'yes' votes at the time were to give the administration the appearance of power and threat it needed to negotiate (as Hillary said it was at the time)....but there's no way anyone can think that the administration's response required by the resolution was adequate or meaningful. congress should have called it on that count.

And there are countless untruths that congress should have put a stop to. These were as obvious then as they are now, if our reps and leaders had been brave and responsible. OK...so they weren't brave and responsible. So they were acting within a calculated, cold political framework in which they didn't want to seem weak, didn't want to somehow end up on the wrong side of beating down a foe with different skin color and religion, didn't want to take a risk. So when it become clear this was a giant lie, a disaster, a mismanaged tragedy, and wrong...they could have pointed to the lies, the dishonest briefings about drones striking the US, curveball, forged documents, Judy Miller, Paul ONeill...dozens and dozens of mistakes and deceptions, making the administration and gop pay politically so that their brand would be ruined for generations. Certainly impeachment (gop gains the senate this year, think they won't impeach?). They didn't and haven't. Still could, but won't.

So...dem leaders and officials have had many chances to distance themselves from the worst foreign policy decision every....and haven't. Still complicit...most of them.