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"We Don't Want to Hear about History!" Shouted Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller
WorldWideStandard.Com ^ | January 9,2006 | Daniel McKivergan

Posted on 01/09/2006 8:35:11 PM PST by PJ-Comix

One revealing anecdote from Ambassador Bremer's book, My Year in Iraq, involves West Virginia's Jay Rockefeller. On September 23, 2003, Bremer briefed the Senate Democratic caucus on Iraq.

I started to explain why the supplemental appropriation was important by noting "the lessons of history," having in mind the failures following World War I and the success after World War II. Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia rudely interrupted, "We all know our history, Mr. Ambassador. Don't bother us with history."

I paused and then continued to describe how after World War I, the Allies had withdrawn after saddling Germany with crushing debt.

"We don't want to hear about history!" Rockefeller shouted.

The hell with you, I thought. I plunged on. (p. 173)

Of course, what Sen. Rockefeller could really have used was a review of recent history -- particularly on what he said on the Senate floor on October 10, 2002 in support of the resolution authorizing the use of force against Saddam Hussein. Given his strong grasp of history, it's rather odd he's forgotten it. Some highlights:

As the attacks of September 11 demonstrated, the immense destructiveness of modern technology means we can no longer afford to wait around for a smoking gun. September 11 demonstrated that the fact that an attack on our homeland has not yet occurred cannot give us any false sense of security that one will not occur in the future. We no longer have that luxury.

September 11 changed America. It made us realize we must deal differently with the very real threat of terrorism, whether it comes from shadowy groups operating in the mountains of Afghanistan or in 70 other countries around the world, including our own.

There has been some debate over how "imminent" a threat Iraq poses. I do believe that Iraq poses an imminent threat, but I also believe that after September 11, that question is increasingly outdated.

And:

Saddam's government has contact with many international terrorist organizations that likely have cells here in the United States.

And:

He could make those weapons [WMD] available to many terrorist groups which have contact with his government, and those groups could bring those weapons into the U.S. and unleash a devastating attack against our citizens. I fear that greatly.

Rockefeller added:

Some argue it would be totally irrational for Saddam Hussein to initiate an attack against the mainland United States, and they believe he would not do it. But if Saddam thought he could attack America through terrorist proxies and cover the trail back to Baghdad, he might not think it so irrational.

If he thought, as he got older and looked around an impoverished and isolated Iraq, that his principal legacy to the Arab world would be a brutal attack on the United States, he might not think it so irrational. And if he thought the U.S. would be too paralyzed with fear to respond, he might not think it so irrational.



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; US: West Virginia
KEYWORDS: iraq; jayrockefeller; wva
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To: PJ-Comix
"We don't want to hear about history!" Rockefeller shouted.

Progressive Evasion 101

21 posted on 01/09/2006 9:01:20 PM PST by JoeSixPack1
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To: CyberAnt
LucyT included it in her post - but it can't be repeated enough! All this this h we have been going thru is a well planned move and the media is their voice!

ROCKEFELLR MEMO

22 posted on 01/09/2006 9:12:58 PM PST by malia (The Impeached x42 clinton - a Paper Tiger President! MSM - bottom feeders! What a team!!!!)
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To: PJ-Comix

It's a little surprising that a scumbag like Jay Rockefeller continues to get re-elected. Are the voters in his state retarded? Or just parasites always looking for government handouts and welfare and other stuff that Democrats promise them for their votes?


23 posted on 01/09/2006 9:16:56 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Txsleuth
And then they have the nerve to lie on the floor of the Senate and say they weren't briefed on things...

Bingo

24 posted on 01/09/2006 9:21:26 PM PST by Mo1 (Republicans protect Americans from Terrorists. Democrats protect Terrorists from Americans)
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To: airborne

the great question of our age
are democrats stupid or evil?
maybe their stupidty makes them evil
or maybe their evilness makes them stupid


25 posted on 01/09/2006 9:50:59 PM PST by genghis
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To: PJ-Comix

Commies don't need no stinkin' history unless it is the airbrushed variety produced at Harvard University in the Arab Studies Department.


26 posted on 01/09/2006 10:02:11 PM PST by Galveston Grl (Getting angry and abandoning power to the Democrats is not a choice.)
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To: Mo1

Whatever brain cells he had, they're gone now.


27 posted on 01/10/2006 3:17:42 AM PST by Peach
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To: PJ-Comix

My in-laws in West Virginia are kool-aid drinking democrats who would vote for Hitler if he were running on the democrat ticket. She hates Republicans because they're supposedly, all rich. Jay Rockerfeller isn't really rich. He thinks Robert Byrd is cool because he once belonged to the Klan, and Rockerfeller answers his letters. No money with the letters. I get the impression that their thinking is not unique in that state.


28 posted on 01/10/2006 3:29:50 AM PST by RushLake (Baghdad minus saddam hussein = Detroit)
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To: PJ-Comix

self ping


29 posted on 01/10/2006 3:33:38 AM PST by baseballmom
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To: genghis
are democrats stupid or evil?

Maybe both. Regardless, they need to be fought like any other enemy.

No quarter!

30 posted on 01/10/2006 3:39:15 AM PST by airborne (If being a Christian was a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?)
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To: PJ-Comix; Mo1; Howlin; Peach; BeforeISleep; kimmie7; 4integrity; BigSkyFreeper; RandallFlagg; ...

Of course the only thing we'll here about this book is that Bremer call for more troops.


31 posted on 01/10/2006 4:00:16 AM PST by OXENinFLA
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To: PJ-Comix; Mo1; OXENinFLA
The hell with you, I thought.

Too bad Bremer couldn't say it publically. I'd personally love to tell Rockefeller to go to hell.

32 posted on 01/10/2006 4:34:03 AM PST by prairiebreeze (Take the high road. You'll never have to meet a Democrat.)
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To: Txsleuth
Rocky and Byrdwinkle..

Heh! Good one.

33 posted on 01/10/2006 4:37:37 AM PST by prairiebreeze (Take the high road. You'll never have to meet a Democrat.)
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To: Hoodat
So when does Rockefeller get indicted? His letter to Cheney was cited by the NYTimes in their original story. Since only he had a copy of it, he had to have leaked it to the Times prior to their story being published. It is an open and shut case.

But wait, according to Pelosi, apples are oranges but it is all fruit but wait it's really pomegranates which might be vegetables...which of course our base will understand.

In best Sgt Schultze voice : "I knew nusssing, nusssinngg!!"

34 posted on 01/10/2006 4:44:23 AM PST by 101st-Eagle
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To: JoeSixPack1
We don't want to hear about history!" Rockefeller shouted. Progressive Evasion 101

I love how Bremer gave him the silent, "I dont-give-a-f-about-who-you-are-senator" and continued with the work he had prepared for the day.

I can just hear the words "Let'm eat cake" coming out of Jay-Jay's little priviledged mouth.

35 posted on 01/10/2006 4:49:54 AM PST by 101st-Eagle
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To: Hoodat

BTTT


36 posted on 01/10/2006 5:15:03 AM PST by Unicorn (Too many wimps around.)
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To: PJ-Comix

ARTIST: Sam Cooke
TITLE: Wonderful World (Don't Know Much)
Lyrics and Chords
(with some editing)

[Capo 2]

Don't know much about history
Don't know much biology
Don't know much about a science book
Don't know much about the French I took
But I do know I love OBL
And I know that if he loves me too
What a wonderful world this would be


37 posted on 01/10/2006 8:07:34 AM PST by sine_nomine (Every baby is a blessing from God, from the moment of conception.)
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To: PJ-Comix

And this idiot strongly considered running for president back in 1992. Scary thought.


38 posted on 01/10/2006 8:12:56 AM PST by moose2004 (You Can Run But You Can't Hide!)
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To: Mo1

39 posted on 01/10/2006 3:33:08 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper ("Tucker Carlson could reveal himself as a castrated, lesbian, rodeo clown ...wouldn't surprise me")
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To: airborne

"He's the enemy, and he knows what he's doing."

yep.


40 posted on 01/10/2006 8:03:06 PM PST by strategofr (Taliban had such quick success because of US State Dept support, Dangerous Diplomacy, Mowbray, p. 63)
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