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http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0916-12.htmOn Oct. 11, 2002, U.S. Sen. John Kerry voted in favor of a resolution authorizing President Bush to go to war against Iraq. That decision has haunted Kerry ever since, as it should. With that vote, a man who learned firsthand about the tragedy of fighting an ill-conceived war with no clear-cut goals agreed to commit another generation to another such war.
Today, Kerry claims that the only reason he voted to authorize war was to strengthen the president's hand in negotiating with Iraq. As Kerry points out, Bush was publicly insisting back then that he had made no decision to go to war, and in fact would do everything possible to avoid it.
But if Kerry truly did take Bush at his word, as he now claims, then this campaign is for naught because he is too big a fool to serve as president. <SNIP> However, if Kerry is guilty of acquiescing to the worst American foreign-policy decision in the nation's history, his opponent is responsible for actually making that tragic decision. In an admittedly difficult first term, Bush has proved to be a man of limited insight and experience, shortcomings that make him easily manipulated by those around him. Tragically for this country and the world, that includes Vice President Dick Cheney and others who believe that in the U.S. military, they have a tool by which to transform the world as they see fit.
It's important to listen to what the Bush administration is really promising in this campaign, because on this point they are being relatively honest. They not only claim that our invasion of Iraq has been a success, they also celebrate it as a model for similar operations in the future. Conversely, their critique of Kerry as insufficiently aggressive is based on the very real fact that he now sees Iraq not as a model to be repeated, but as a disaster to be avoided.
That leaves voters with a clear choice: Those who believe that invading Iraq has harmed rather than enhanced our nation's security should cast a vote for Kerry, who now shares that sentiment. Those who see Iraq as a model for future operations should vote to re-elect the president. However, they should also understand that with so much of our manpower committed to Iraq for years to come, the U.S. military will be able to take on new commitments only if it is significantly expanded. And that probably means a draft. <SNIP>
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