Cantwell: "I Would Have Voted No" on Iraq

[nwprogressive]

Looks like the Senator has taken the final step in solidifying her Iraq position. Please join us in congratulating her.

"If I knew then everything that I know today and the Republican leadership still brought it up for a vote, I would have voted no."

http://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2006/08/sen-cantwell-clarifies-her-position-on.html

[uppityperson]

1. That is good. Thank you for this.

[flamingyouth]

2. I'm glad

[sutz12]

3. So what is this?

Is it pandering?

Or is it responding to the will of the electorate?

I'll take the high road here and say I'm glad she is coming around to a sensible strategy, as opposed to the non-strategy the admin has been offering.

:thumbsup:

[raysr]

26. What's with all the douche-bag

names on the ballet with her, some kind of freeptard joke?

[uppityperson]

27. what are you talking about? "douche-bag names"?

Mike the Mover gets free advertising for cheap, as does Michael Goodspaceguy Nelso, Said and Tran are seriously trying for the spot. Why are you insulting other people's names?

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

4. Just Say No to Dangerous Dick Chaney and Bushwackers of America

Indeed, As you may know , Cantwell was illinformed. Some even many that had experience and some knowledge ,though not necessarialy proff , that this War on global terrorism is thing that was and is being staged. John Kerry for one in a for instance.

Senator Kerry said publicly that he wished he had never supported Bush, on the matter of war.
And Just Say Hell No, The Bush adminstration has had every benefit of the doubt there is to be had.

All the facts add up now, where as befor ,not so long ago it was different. It all added up, but there was no proof. So Dangerous Dick Chaney And G.W. Bush ,got those votes. Indeed the intire nation had been effectively Hornswoggled by the largest most powerful ban of corrupt cowboys ever assembled in this nation.

Knowing it is one thing, proving it is indeed another altogather.

You know that the Nixon White house and Nixon himself set out to destroy Kerry ,befor he even had a chance to get started.
Let it be known, the big leauges is no place for kids to play.

You can think to be a player in the big leagues , but what happens when you are there and you are not?
Talk is cheap as sin, but a good hard ball player will hit one straight threw hell than onword.

Try that one again, right you are.

And we need those swing votes. We need those swing votes to solidify the voice of Washington state to the tune of Just Say Hell No George Bush ,We have Had Enough.
We have had enough of this war, We have had enough of those lies, And we have had enough with you people trashing out this Nation.
You people headed by Bush , do not know what you are doing, you never did know what you were doing and you people never will. But we will, And We shall,- Impeach Bush.

[regnaD kciN]

14. Let's remember one fact about the IWR...

...it was all Joe Lieberman's fault!

I'm serious. Recall the time leading up to that vote. The IWR had already passed the House, but Senate Democrats, with a 51-49 majority at the time, had the ability to block it, or at least force significant changes (no military action without a second Congressional vote and/or a U.N. resolution, etc.) if only they could all hang together and vote as a bloc.

So, the weekend before the vote, up pops Holy Joe to announce that he, working without knowledge or approval of the Democratic Senate leadership, had personally worked out a "compromise" (that basically gave Bush everything he wanted) and that he would join the Republicans in voting for the bill.

With Lieberman's defection, it was all over. Even if all remaining Democrats held firm, the vote would be 50-50, and Cheney would break the tie.

From that point on, any Democrat's decision was based less on substance than on symbolism. Some, to their credit, stood firm. Others, to their shame, decided to run from the possiblity of being labeled "soft on national security," or of looking foolish should the U.S. claim an easy victory.

Obviously, we know where Cantwell (and others, including Kerry and Hillary) stood (or folded). And it is to their discredit that they did so -- and, in Kerry's case, it likely cost him the Presidency. But we should all remember that the real "collaborator" in this case was Joe Lieberman -- once he had betrayed his party, nothing Cantwell or any other Democrat could do would be sufficient to stop the rush to war.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Words are cheap, and her actions speak far, far louder

Until I see her non-regret acted upon, all I hear her saying is, "Don't throw me in the briar patch!"

[pnwmom]

37. Green party supporter,

your words against her have their own agenda, which is to peel voters away from the Dem party and toward yours.

When Cantwell voted for the authorization, it included a number of conditions which Bush then went on to ignore. Unfortunately Cantwell followed the recommendation of the Democratic leadership and, with half of the other Dem Senators, voted for the authorization based on those conditions.

[spitintheocean]

6. Hooray , now what about the rest of her Republican values ??

  Good job , Maria 2 months from the election and you finally
draw the conclusion that represented the majority of her 
constituents in Wash state for the last 4 years of death and
destruction in Iraq . I for one want to hear more from her and
her "death bed " conversion to reality politics . 
  Hey , N P I , you don't think she is pandering to us do you
? Did her new found "vision" come like , in a dream
. was it based on some new information she just got , or was
it based on the resoundiing defeat of Joe Liebermann by the
real Democratic party of the United States , not the toadies
that bow to their war party  leaders , like Maria Cantwell .

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

7. Just Say Hell No To Hong Trang

Is Hong Tran Not a lawer?
Suspecting something is one thing , proving it is another.
Her oppisition to the war, Hong Tran,s is fine. But what does she know of experience in politics? The show, the big leagues, the real world in how it works?

It is nothing for a lawer to reverse his or herself for profitable gain.

But for someone of integrity ,it is not.
The facts add up now, whereas befor there were too few available to add up. What you might call state secrets.

So what do know, or what do you think that you know?

Senator Cantwell will come around. She,s a good Senator. And she is one who knows that there is always room for improvement.
She can improve of herself without reversing herself.

Want to talk law now?

[Norrin Radd]

9. Many Senators and Reps in the past and the present are lawyers.

I don't get your point? Members of Congress are lawmakers, or legislators. Having experience with the law is proper experience.

[countryjake]

11. Law of averages...

wartime politicians who continually support pouring billions of dollars into a disastrous, murderous conflict...get shit canned!

[bahrbearian]

22. I just realized Lincoln was a lawyer ,,,

[Norrin Radd]

8. It won't bring anybody back who was killed, on either side. n/t

[countryjake]

10. Right, she would have voted no, so when will she stop supporting this war?

Too little, too late, Maria!

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

12. Lawers that have experience built up in a practice ,and have taken on

Very many isssues, over and over again. Each time the issue is taken on again,it is taken to higher level threw experience.Years of it.
However too many of them, lawers over the decades add a century to that and than some have over populated both houses . So Generals, business people , rich people., the verious options to consider.

Lawers , We can do without more of them because they are lawers.
They don,t make good spouses ,because they are lawers.
They don,t make good associates outside of law, because they are lawers.And because they laweres the must think of theirselves first ,always theirselves., first and foremost.They don,t do well in churchs either, but if it were not for the church,where would they go?So say,s the preacher.

This does not necessarially discrib all of them, (lawers) but most of them.
They are all subject to the same temptations, and not one will truthfully attest to not having fallen subject. Though we all make mistakes.

I for one would not make any excuses for any lawer.Given they all are what they are.

The country needs people ,real people that have a gift. A gift that can be shared with all the people.Gifted people that have reached it,mabe not all of it, but enough that they must put back ,because they feel it is the right thing to do.

And so the gift transfers perhaps perfectly into politics and all experience through out this gifted person,s experiences ,trials and errors, become something to shared and admired by people.

The gift of a gifted persons experience. That is love ,that is kindness,that is GOOD.

Or Lawers, business people and rich people.
Take your pick.


signed Poor Richard.
and Just Say Hell no to Hong Tran.

[maxsolomon]

13. back then i knew everything that you know now

you did too, but the vote was for the AUTHORITY to use force, which Bush then abused, not a declaration of war.

[larry barr]

15. Glad to hear this

We need badly to get her elected again and this helps so much.

[uppityperson]

33. well, this didn't last long, rofl

[AX10]

16. And may she have another 6 years!

Re-elect Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington)!

[bahrbearian]

20. What choices do we have ? and she is a sorry choice.

[Cascadian]

21. Yes friends. You have a choice!

:sarcasm: It's REPUBLICAN or.....REPUBLICAN LITE! :eyes: It's all a freakin' joke!


John

[usregimechange]

17. Good for her.

[Cascadian]

18. She takes her steps to admitting she was wrong WOW!

Sorry, Maria. You are a day late and a buck short with Iraq. You should have thought about it before you voted with the Neocons to go to war.


John

[merwin]

19. I don't recall her ever voting to go to war with Iraq.

In fact, I don't recall ANY senator voting to go to war in Iraq. They voted to give the president the authority to use force if all other options failed. The fact that George Bush ignored all of the other options is not her fault.

Authority to use force and a declaration of war are to completely different things.

[uppityperson]

23. I wrote her, way back when, saying vote no. She wrote me back...

said she did not give Mr.bush the power to go to war but just to threaten. That he could not go to war without further authorization. I wrote her back saying if you really believe that you are more naive than I. She responded with a form thank you letter.

[spitintheocean]

24. MARIA !!! WASH IS BURNING ,WHERE IS OUR NAT. GUARD ??

Oh yeah , hunkered down behind some sand dune in Iraq , Washington State in the middle of one of the worst fire seasons on recent times and our National Guard , which MARIA CANTWELL SENT TO IRAQ is unable to come to our rescue .
Just another unforeseen consequence of MARIA'S RUSH TO WAR , and now we are feeling the effects of our Senator gals indiscretions , here at home . As she makes the big talk about saving us from global warming the war and our forest fires I guess don't fit into her equation of causes and effect .
Maria stop the war so our troops can stop our forest fires . Vote for Han Tran ,at least she cares ..

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

25. Hunkered down, at least Hong Tran cares?

People who have served in active combat in vietnam as it is ,are experiencing reocurrences in events of the Vietnam atrossitys threw dreams. So veterans adminstration data reviels

Service personnel returning from the Middle Eastern conflict are experiencing disorders of a psychological nature that are not diagnosable. Short and long term memory loss for example.

To say or write that Senator Cantwell does not care is about as far from any truth as can be.

Why on earth would anybody think such a thing?

In todays paper there is also an article that is on the subject of prison convicts do not get psyc treatment that they need, or any.

Why on earth would anybody think that Senator Cantwell doesn,t care?

Nobody who cares even a little, would want our people suffering because of terrorist causes. And nobody that cares only a little, would want terrorizing convicts released into society without some kind of treatment, where they are sick to begin with.

Cantwell cares about the troops and vetran affairs .
And she is for social order, that includs treatment ,even for hard core criminals, X. cons too.

Senator Cantwell is indeed a good person and a good Senator.
The heat is on in both houses,soon enough it will be on high.
Right now, there is just no substitute for experience.

There just is not.
Just like there is no treatment for convicts that need it.
And far more importantly ,in fact first and foremost ,way first indeed,the necessary treatment for Americas Veterans -ANd first and again our Active Armed forces personnel.

The Senator is actively for our service people and our veterans.
social order, and law too.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

28. Looks like MaGavics number is up.

On the part of MaGavic using the idea that people just love to forgive as a campaign tactic for the secound time.

The local journalist the P.I. times, Jameison/ Connely , forgive the misspelling of the name, He- MaGavic is a lier that will not fool Jameison twice- a predator -Conally , and a lier that has used the forgiviness tactic befor .

Since MaGavic the predator is on the fry pan, here is where the the Axman McGavic -the drunken axman that is ,-insidiousely got the idea.

You see, just after Reagan got elected- it became known threw political research,- that people ,as it was at that time ,and in particular, the WW2 generation, those that had made plenty of their own mistakes, and had gone threw many changes- were letting go of the old- hang on to the grudge thing.

Chappaquitic You know- the Those Kennedys thing.
As a matter of fact -when the democratic party wanted to run Ted Kennedy against Jimmy Carter for the democratic partys candidate- rather a similar situation Lieberman -who is now the dark horse.

Well Jimmy Carter got the partys nomination, and lost by a landslide to Reagan.

But after the election of Reagan, there about ,it became known threw political research that forgininess ,contrary to the going belief was or is the new trend.

Well don,t you know the drunken axman keyed into that one. Such a smart ass he is.
That is until he gets slapped in the face with the truth about his insidiousness.

No decent man woman or politican ,would play that tune without being real.
But the axman Magic Mike MaGavic the republican mirror image of George W. Bush sure as hell would.

Shame on him and all of them. And by the by, send MaGavic ,s blog the message will you now? How very good of you-right you are.

The best angle on the right wing is the left approch.
Hit it with the truth and all that is left is lies.

[rhett o rick]

29. Sorry I can't let this go. What exactly does she know now that she

didn't know then?? That Georgie is a liar?? That there weren't WMD in Iraq??? That Hussein was not associated with 9/11??? That the Neocons want to dominate the World??

Is she saying that new evidence has been revealed? Is she saying that nitwit GWB fooled her?

I think she, like other democrats, supported the war because they didn't have the backbone to stand up for what they knew was right. They thought they would look non-patriot.

Democrats that supported GWB and the Neocons Iraq War were either fools or opportunists.

[rhett o rick]

30. Public opinion is the only thing different now than then.

I told you i couldn't let it go.

[rhett o rick]

31. Looks like we are stuck with Maria for another 6 long years.

Heaven help us.

[Fenris]

32. Help us with what?

I come from a district in Texas which is almost entirely Republican. The Legislature is controlled by Republicans. The last Democratic senator the state had after Lloyd Bentsen left to be Treasury Secretary was Robert Krueger, who lasted a whole year before being trampled by Kay Bailey Hutchison. The first election I was able to vote in (2002), every candidate I voted for lost - that is, when there was a Democratic candidate. At least half of the local offices were held by Republicans, and the only challengers seemed to be libertarians. The Democratic Senate Candidate, Ron Kirk, lost to a man so soiled with Enron money, he earned the name "The Enron Judge." And this was after the company collapsed. Of the Democrats who do hold office in Texas, you'd be lucky to find a handful that could qualify as liberal.

Being "stuck" with Maria Cantwell is a far better thing than being stuck with the alternative. And remember, you are pretty much speaking for yourself and 9% of Democratic voters, since Cantwell won the primary with 91% of the vote. Clearly, some people don't think she's all that bad.

[rhett o rick]

34. Maria ran essentially unopposed because she paid her main

opponent to get out of the race (sounds like a republican).

And yes, I am very familiar with the lesser of evils argument. Of course we would be better off with her than Hitler, or Cheney, or MacGavik, but that doesn't mean she is a good representative. She supported the Neocon Nazi's war, the single most devastating thing to happen to this Country in a century. We have yet to recover and it may take decades to undo the damage, if we ever can. She had an opportunity to stand up for democracy but failed. She yielded to political pressure. Her advisor's probably said "we know there aren't wmd, we know that Saddam wasn't involved, we know GWB is a lier, but you will look un-patriotic, so you better support this war". In a representative form of government, the representatives are supposed to do what is right, not what is popular.

I may vote for her but will never forgive her.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

35. Tide,s changing at current

George W. Bush, cannot run ,avoid or hide from the truth as it springs up in places where they ,the right wing of the republican party have no control.

It begins here. Soon enough the floods will flow and the truth undeniable will take hold within circumstances. The data will comfirm the truth on into continuous to and threw the 2008 elections.

He is where Magic mike MaGavic and all his type fall right into place.One blanket excuse,- Rossi too, -it all falls back to the Nixon adminstration and all the scoundrels that were at their professional beginings or even in college back than ,- will say they had no knowledge of all that.

Or if they had known than what the truth shall revile, that which shaped how they think will have been different. One hell of a blanket ,wouldn,t you say?

Right of the tip of the old ice berg.
And the truth trickels down in it,s own course.

Iraq is indeed a dismal failure.
However where did it,s beginings originate (?)

Mr. Bush would say 9/11-9/11- 9/11 ,9/11.

Would he though recall any party business back when he stumped in Alabama to oust George Wallace? Who incidentally was (forgivin) (?) Magic Mike MaGavic the axman -Just honk when you drive by Vernon Faunk !!!!!! .

The old bell rings insidiously and Bush and MaGavic are right there at the head of the line. See the sign ! right there it is (!)

When you see that (!) -Just Honk-!

It,s about take and give in America, not take and go.
You will find the idea behind that in our constitution.
You will also find the concept very ,very powerful,
And it has it,s enemies from within.

[Norrin Radd]

36. Let me join in your prayer. n/t

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

38. Indeed-,join in, if that,s it,

You have no idea.

[Norrin Radd]

39. I am putting you on Ignore.

n/t

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

40. Sorry to see that -Progs Rock

Not a graceful (exit) for GOP led congress.

A house divided by Foley fallout (?)

Mark Foley (R.) Florida resigns Friday because he is an admitted sex offender of a sort. In other words he got caught within the the flood waters that are trickling down apon both houses.

Right of the tip of the ice berg,-It has begun.