State of the Union 2004 - tell me what you think of this idea

[truthspeaker]

I think it's time for mainstream Democratic leaders to start calling attention to the Bush administration's massive deception campaign leading up to the Iraq war. On January 20, 2004 Bush will give his State of the Union address. He used last year's address to tell lies about Iraq to justify his plan to attack. I propose a massive letter-writing campaign to Democratic members of Congress urging them not to attend the 2004 SotU, for the simple reason that they are sick of Bush lying to Congress. Here are four bald-faced lies from the 2003 speech:

"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

But the US government knew that was false at least six months before the SotU.

"Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production."

This had also been debunked long before the speech.

"Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda."

As had this.

"And this year, for the first time, we are beginning to field a defense to protect this nation against ballistic missiles."

We are spending money to field a system that doesn't work yet.

(here's a http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/transcripts/bushtext_012803.html">link to the full text of the 2003 SotU at the Washington Post.)

Anyone willing to come on board with me? I know chances are most Dems in Congress don't have the backbone to do something like this, but we'll never know if we don't try. I'll post one of the letters I intend to write later, but first I'd like other DUer's opinions on this idea.

Dave

[beyurslf]

1. Good idea but not going to happen.

Congress will show up for the STOTUA. I don't have any Democratic Senators and my Congressman is a Republican as well, too. I know they will be there in the ass kissing section.

I wouldn't mind seeing them there with placards that say LIE to hold up every time he says something un-truthful.

[Kolesar]

2. MoveOn.org should run some ads the day before the SOTU address

Or even better: all of the leading presidential candidates. This would throw the dictator off his stride.

[truthspeaker]

3. Here's the letter I wrote to my Rep and Dem Senator

I decided not to ask them to boycott. And I wrote this before Ted Kennedy's speech; it would have been better if I'd worked some of that in there.

Dear Representative/Senator xxx,

Next week George W. Bush will deliver the third State of the Union address of his presidency. As a member of the Congress I assume you are expected to attend. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the three outright lies that Bush told in last year’s address:

"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

"Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production."

"Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda."

Not only did all three of these statements turn out to be untrue, but in at least the first two instances we now know that the White House knew they were not true before the 2003 State of the Union was even written. It is a grave matter when the president of the United States lies to Congress and the American people. I seem to remember the previous president had to face impeachment after lying about his sex life; in my opinion telling lies in order to justify the invasion and occupation of a foreign country, a war in which almost 500 American troops have already lost their lives, is a far more serious matter.

In your time in Congress you have come across as a person of principle and conscience, and as one of your constituents I am an admirer of your statements and accomplishments. I urge you to use the occasion of Bush’s State of the Union to remind your colleagues and constituents of the lies he told last year and of the continuing deception involved in the Iraq war. Let’s forget about qualified terms like “misled” and “misstated”. There is a time when we have to call a spade a spade and a liar a liar. Now is one of those times.