Morning Joe--- Tavis Smiley: Bush ‘lied’ us into war with Iraq

[kpete]

“The reality is though, that one of these guys lied to the American people,” Smiley said. “And when I say he, I mean his administration lied. When you want to talk about the security of this country Joe, you cannot disconnect that. He got us in a war that is now the longest running war in this country because his administration said Joe, ‘Lie to the American people.’ They did not give us the proper information, we never did find a weapon of mass destruction.”

When fellow PBS host Jon Meacham said it wasn’t a lie about weapons of mass destruction and challenged Smiley, he backtracked a little.

“Do you believe George W. Bush intentionally misled the American people in the case of war?” asked Meacham.

“I did not,” replied Smiley.

“You said lie, you said lie,” Scarborough yelled. “Don’t back off, speak to your truth Travis, speak to your truth.”

“I’m speaking to my truth,” Smiley replied. “There’s a distinction that could be made to misleading people for the purpose of what you want to accomplish and everything you think was right. They were trying to accomplish a goal and Dick Cheney and everybody else in that administration knew exactly what they were trying to accomplish. The American people were misled, call it a lie, call it misled, we went a long way there on faulty information.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/09/tavis-smiley-on-morning-joe-bush-lied-us-into-iraq/

[aquart]

1. Why quotes around "lie"?

[rosesaylavee]

2. They all lied.

Repeatedly. 100s of thousands of deaths and maimed victims, environment eco-structures gone all for greed and power.

High crimes and misdemeanors. They all need to be tried and imprisoned and their deeds recorded and memorized so it won't be repeated in 20 years.

[grasswire]

3. that was a typical, practiced GOP trick

To say "Are you saying that xxxxx??!!"

I have seen this rhetorical trick used so many goddam times by a Bushco defender over the last ten years.

It is a DEVICE meant to force the opponent to back down.

Go Smiley. Tell it.

[7wo7rees]

14. Let's rewire it then.

Let's say, "Yeah, I'm saying that they lied, and now YOU'RE trying to defend them. Are you saying they didn't? Got any proof?"

[grasswire]

16. I wish Dems would coordinate the message and do some media coaching

But I've been wishing that for years now.

[7wo7rees]

17. There is that mention below of losing his job

...and I'm sure that's what kept Tavis from going off. But that translates to any commentator or pundit, and also to Dems of power and stature. They will be threatened.

[eShirl]

20. My response to their device is, "Do you have a hearing problem?"

[underpants]

4. Meachem was threatening Smiley's position and reputation and job there

that's how it works - Want to keep that job? Want to keep being allowed on the air? ..then say this (insert any conventional wisdom text on any subject).

[Enrique]

5. the lie was how certain they claimed to be

they didn't just say they suspected Saddam had the weapons. That would not have been enough to justify the war.

A lot of people suspected he had the weapons, for example Hans Blix. The difference is that Blix knew that we didn't have evidence and that is all the difference in the world when it comes to invading a country and killing tens of thousands of people.

[dennis4868]

9. Nobody thought that...

Iraq had WMD that were any good anymore; there was no evidence that he could use whatever he did have against us; he never would give it to al queda or anyonbe else...there was no evidence at the time Bush went to war that Iraq had WMD, certainly not nuclear weapons and mushroom clouds...no intelligence document said this...NONE! It was all a lie and people still defend the lie....DISGUSTING!

[dennis4868]

6. It's not even a debatable...

point anymore whether Bush and his thugs lied...Except for David Corn, whenever one of our guys goes on TV and says Bush lied us into war they never have the specifics to prove that Bush lied...it drives me crazy...Bush and his thugs were talking nuclear weapons and unmanned drones that Iraq had that could reach the USA and no report said that and as a matter of fact the Energy dept at the time said it was not true but Bush kept repeating that fucking lie....he scared the shit out of the american people and got congress to give him his illegal war...FUCK YOU JOE AND MEACHEM....BUSH FUCKING LIED US INTO WAR!

[grasswire]

8. anyone got email for meachem?

I'd like to reach out.

[dennis4868]

10. NO....

but if you get it, send it my too...there is a list somewhere on the internet of all Bush and thugs lies regarding Iraq...it's put out by a very reputable organization....need to find it again.

[fascisthunter]

7. fuck Joe and his Nazi(Republican) Party

bunch of treasonous low-lifes who suck up to the wealthy rather than be an equal with everyone. They make me sick.

[asjr]

11. Meacham would never have made

that statement alone. He has to have sidekicks make his "case" for him. He likes to be "one of the guys."

[Supersedeas]

18. It was a concerted effort in reply to Smiley, the Corporate revisionist were in lock step

[WCGreen]

12. tavis,say it like it is...

The fucker lied us into war...

[underpants]

13. They lied. The administration and the media and we knew it.

October 26, 2002 several DU'ers joined 200,000 to 250,000 others in DC to say "THIS IS A LIE. DON'T TRUST THEM"

How did we know this? we had done our homework including reading Will Pitt's "The War on Iraq" which despite what Scott Ritter did later remains spot on as to what would and did happen.

on February 15, 2003 the SINGLE LARGEST DEMONSTRATION IN THE PLANET'S HISTORY took place on ever continent as 6-10 MILLION people took to the streets to say "THIS IS A LIE. DON'T TRUST THEM"



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003_anti-war_protest

Sources vary in their estimations of the number of participants involved. According to BBC News, between six and ten million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of the 15th and 16th; other estimates range from eight million to thirty million.<1><2>

Some of the largest protests took place in Europe. The protest in Rome involved around three million people, and is listed in the 2004 Guinness Book of World Records as the largest anti-war rally in history.<3><4> Madrid hosted the second largest rally with more than 1½ million people protesting the invasion of Iraq, whereas Mainland China was the only major region not to see any protests, but small demonstrations attended mainly by foreign students were seen later.<5>

[WhiteTara]

15. Tavis, don't back down. They LIED and millions have died. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

19. They did lie.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.