Kerry explaining IWR vote reminds me a little of Marion Barry: "bitch set

[AP]

me up."

Kerry's right. You had to vote yes on that IWR to create the threat to get Hussein to comply. Doesn't mean you're telling Bush to go to war. And doesn't mean you have to approve of Bush's every move after that point. And it doesn't mean you want to go to war. In fact, it's also a vote that keeps you out of war, because it does create the compulsion to comply with the UN inspections.

But Bush turns around and says a Yes vote on IWR, but criticism afterwards is filp flopping? That Bitch set the Democrats up. Bitch set us up.

[jpgray]

1. We gave him the big stick so he could speak softly

And he bashed someone over the head with it.

Kerry's vote is easily explained that way. That it's clear Bush was never interested in anything but bashing people's heads is another story. He can't very well say that for himself in defense.

[AP]

4. Yeah. He's bashing Iraqis AND Americans with that stick. Asshole.

How many wartime presidents have had the lack of class to use war to bash fellow Americans, even if they were the opposite political party? Did FDR use the war to bash Repubicans? Nope. Do we have to go back to the civil war? Is that even the case for the civil war?

[JI7]

2. just like afghanistan which kerry also voted for

it doesn't mean he can't criticize how bush handled things.

voting for it means kerry can say to the people that he DID AND WOULD have held saddam accountable. but that doesn't justify how bush went about it . even hans blix said the threat was needed for saddam to cooperate.

[Norquist Nemesis]

3. Kerry could easily turn the IWR vote around

on Bush. He stands on the giving the President the authority, which is a logical argument to me. He was, afterall, voting as a Senator and in that role understood that the President needed the vote to go to the UN. He's explained that over and over.

But when the followup of the $87 billion vote comes, as it always does, he should take the opportunity to remind everyone that the President threatened to veto it.

[AP]

6. That 87 bil was a handout to Halliburton. It was right to vote against it.

It was taking money that should have gone to make soldiers safer and giving it to big corporations.

That was evil.

If you believe in God and you took that money, I'd worry about my immortal soul.

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Yes, it was

and Kerry saw it for that. I don't have a problem with him voting against it.

I'm just pointing out that instead of going on the defensive about it, he should remind everyone that during the debate of the bill Bush threatened to veto it. Bush is the one pointing a finger at Kerry saying first he voted for/then voted against. That the President threatened veto is an opportunity for Kerry to exploit. "Mr. President, why did you threaten to veto a bill to arm the troops?"

[Hippo_Tron]

13. Even better, it had no provisions requiring Bush to buy body armor

And so far Bush had been neglecting to do so. Although I think that politically it might've been a good idea for Kerry to just suck it up and vote for the 87 billion, he definately did the right thing voting against it in hopes of making it a better bill for our troops. The trouble is that he hasn't done a very good job of explaining this to the American people.

[cheshire]

5. I don't believe we have heard of that bitch since then. Dare I hope for

the same fate for *?

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. Kerry and Co. don't rollover anymore on that one

They lay it out now every time. It's getting so the heads aren't bringing it up anymore.

[21winner]

9. Oh, stop it.

Some people remind me of Quisling.

[xrepub]

10. Kerry not good at explaining

Kerry's vote makes perfect sense to me, but did confuse several smart dem friends. He did not do a good job of explaining it.

His actions regarding the 87 billion for Iraq also make perfect sense, but were not explained well.

His recent speeches are much clearer, and I hope that this will continue.

[secular_warrior]

11. the IWR vote and the war was hatched in Texas

by Rove and company, just as Ted Kennedy said.

We need to hammer this point, that the vote was designed to exploit post 9-11 sentiment and divide the Democrats at the same time.

Too often in the media Kerry's vote on the IWR is criticized and analyzed ... what about the motives behind the resolution itself ? Why isn't this questioned ?

The truth is, the whole IWR was a sham -- the Administration was going to war anyway regardless of what the facts were.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. You forgot the part about how it was used to win the 2002 elections

Err, you were probably implying it but that's definately a point that we should hammer. Any decent president would wait until after the elections and call congress back into session during the recess. But leave it to Bush to use a war resolution as an attempt to destroy Max Cleland, Mary Landrieu, Paul Wellstone, and others.

[Zero Division]

12. Agreed, and Bush would have used any excuse to invade Iraq

But this argument never seems to die on DU. And I'm sick of seeing people who only respond by saying that everyone who agrees with you has "drunk the Kool-Aid".