The Fair Weather Warrior (Joseph Farah Slams Hillary Clinton And Cowardly Rats On Iraq War Alert)

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a likely presidential candidate in 2008, said this week she takes responsibility for her vote to authorize the invasion of Iraq.

She didn't explain whether or not she regrets it. She didn't explain whether or not it was a mistake. But she did imply that she was misled by the White House.

"I take responsibility for my vote," she said, "and I, along with a majority of Americans, expect the president and his administration to take responsibility for the false assurances, faulty evidence and mismanagement of the war."

Yet, in a little-noticed admission on national television Sunday, her Democratic colleague Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware conceded he and other members of Congress had complete access to the same intelligence used by the administration to make its decision to go to war.

RUSSERT: "But, Senator, when you read the National Intelligence Estimate, at least the summary of it, it had a caveat in there from the State Department and the Department of Energy saying they did not believe the ..."

RUSSERT: "This was made available to senators before the vote. Only six read it."

Not only that, but while Hillary Clinton's husband was serving as president, she assured the nation – based on intelligence entirely under the control of a Democrat administration – that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was a supporter of international terrorism. Biden did the same. National Security Adviser Sandy Berger did the same. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright did the same. Vice President Al Gore did the same. Sen. John Kerry did the same. Rep. Nancy Pelosi did the same. Even President Bill Clinton did the same.

With brave Americans risking their lives in Iraq, it's time for people like Clinton and Biden to shut up and decide which side they are on. War is no time for waffling. War is no time for playing politics. War is no time for mixed messages.

And waffling, playing politics and sending mixed messages to our troops and our enemy is exactly what Clinton, Biden and many other Democratic Party officials are doing.

I'm not sitting here telling you that Bush has conducted this war the way I would like to see it conducted. I'm not suggesting mistakes have not been made. I'm not saying I wouldn't like to see us hit harder, take the gloves off and finish this nasty business in Iraq as quickly as possible.

What I am saying is that it is irresponsible for politicians to lie for political gain – to misrepresent what they knew and why they voted to go to war. It is worse than irresponsible – it is literally playing politics with the lives of America troops. It is a direct assault on the morale of our troops.

I don't say this lightly. I say it based on conversations with many troops in the field who say they don't want to hear how politicians or even ordinary Americans support them, but also oppose the war.

Imagine what it feels like to be prepared on a daily basis to make the ultimate sacrifice for your country – only to hear from those back at home that they think you are fighting a for a hopeless and futile cause, one that is based on lies and deceit.

Indeed, politicians like that brought us defeat in Vietnam when brave troops in the field were winning every battle. They brought us a holocaust in Southeast Asia by pulling the rug out from under our allies.

"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."
- President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
- President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."
- Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."
- Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."
- Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI), Tom Daschle (D-SD), John Kerry ( D - MA), and others Oct. 9, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies."
- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of an ilicit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies."
- Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others, December 5, 2001

"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them."
- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002

"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..."
- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do."
- Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapon stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002

"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force-- if necessary-- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." < BR>- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real."
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003

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