Here are some ideas on how Bush mis leads on Iraq, per Kerry speech

[hansolsen]

Subject: George Orwell spins in his grave over Bush lies on WMD


Many of my fellow citizens like George Bush and take his statements on religion and family values as welcome confirmation of their own values. So it is with regret that I stand in opposition to the war the President has launched in Iraq, and do not share their assessment of his character. I value good relationships with my neighbors, but I am compelled to say I see a dark and evil side to George Bush, and I cannot be silent about it. I believe this President deliberately lied about WMD to get us into the war in Iraq, and it is vitally important that the American people hold him accountable in this election, for that most un-American act.

We know from nationwide polls that close to 40% of Bush supporters still think we have found WMD in Iraq. The rest of us can agree, can't we, that this is an uninformed or misinformed opinion. We have found no major WMD stashes in Iraq, no minor stashes of WMD in Iraq, and in fact, no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq of any kind. None. And we have found that any weapons programs he had, were pounded to dust years ago. The hard evidence is clear that the only time Saddam Hussein had WMD is when we helped him get those weapons ten to fifteen years ago when he was our ally against Iran.

The rest of the Bush supporters know that he was wrong about WMD but are willing to give him a pass, because they think it was an honest mistake. The rest of the world isn't so persuaded, and neither am I. Here is the deliberate lie I heard him tell:

George Bush stood up a hundred times, in a hundred different ways, and said, "trust me, if you could only see the secret files on my desk you wouldn't hesitate to attack. The evidence is overwhelming, he said; it is certain; there is no doubt that Saddam has WMD, he is a grave threat to America, and must be taken out now." The facts are, the evidence on his desk showed no such thing. There was no WMD in Iraq, and that is what the evidence on his desk undoubtedly showed. All they had were theories, and hunches, and whispers, but no evidence. And contradictory opinions abounded within the intelligence community. George Bush cherry picked the intelligence to backup what he wanted to do. He buried any conflicting information, and the compliant media allowed him to do it. And it was clear, even at the time, to anyone really paying attention. In the pages of this paper, in the fall of 2002, I called that evidence, "thin gruel, about two peas to the gallon". That assessment stands the test of time, does it not?

George Bush told the worst kind of lie there is, he told an Orwellian lie. He told a "big" lie, and told it over and over again. That is propaganda of the worst kind, and I think informed Bush supporters know it. So I appeal to you. George Bush cannot admit his mistakes, but you can. You can stand up and say that what he did was not right, and cannot stand. That's what needs to be done for the sake of our democracy. Others can finish what Bush started in Iraq, and perhaps easier and better than he can. Meanwhile, Democrats cannot send George Bush home on our own. We need help. Please help us.

Your neighbor, Hans Olsen

P.S. As I write this Thursday night, the President is looking the American people in the eye and telling us another lie: He essentially said everything is fine in Iraq. That is not true. George Bush did what he always does when discussing Iraq with us -- he soft pedaled the bad news. He likes to refer often to Winston Churchill. Well, I am a student of Churchill, and Bush is no Churchill. England faced the Germany military alone from 1939 to 1942 and suffered one defeat after another. Churchill never once soft pedaled the bad news to the people of England, and they loved him for it. It is too bad George Bush is a poor student of Churchillian history.

[Sinistrous]

1. Great post, Hans!

I think you have captured the points that should be raised everywher during the next 60 days.

Congrats.