Posted on 01/29/2003 3:39:41 AM PST by kattracks
US Senator Jim Jeffords, an Independent from Vermont, remained seated shaking his head as lawmakers around him stood to applaud President George W. Bush's national address.
"As far as I'm concerned he declared war on Iraq tonight," said Jeffords, who stands politically with opposition Democrats. "He left himself no out other than going to war."
Bush on Tuesday vowed to throw "the full force and might" of the US military into any war with Iraq as he sought to rally the nation behind his brave bid to disarm Saddam Hussein.
"The dictator of Iraq is not disarming," Bush insisted in his hour-long address to a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives, attended by members of the diplomatic corps and watched on television by millions of Americans across the country. "To the contrary he is deceiving."
Bush then warned the tens of thousands of US troops gathering in the Gulf that "some crucial hours may lie ahead".
Democrats, such as the moderate John Breaux, said "No", the speech was not a declaration of war, and added they were relieved to hear that Secretary of State Colin Powell was to provide evidence to the UN Security Council on February 5 of Iraqi defiance of UN resolutions that he disarm.
In the Democrats' televised response to the speech, Washington state Governor Gary Locke said the United States should work with the United Nations in dealing with Iraq and North Korea.
"We also support the president in working with our allies and the United Nations to eliminate the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il of North Korea," Locke said.
"We support the president in the course he has followed so far: working with Congress, working with the United Nations, insisting on strong and unfettered inspections."
Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy announced he would introduce a resolution to require the president to go before the US Congress and present convincing evidence of an imminent threat before the US sends troops to war with Iraq.
"To ensure that we are protecting the American people at home and abroad, another vote is necessary if the time has come for war," he said in a statement delivered after the speech.
Republicans scoffed at the idea.
"It's another dilatory tactic," said Republican Senator George Allen. Bush, he insisted, had "laid out a very ... compelling and convincing case" on Iraq.
"I think it was close to the final warning to Saddam," he added. "There are just so many times we can turn the other cheek."
Some, like Senator Joe Biden, the top Democrat in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, felt Bush's address to the nation was short on details, particularly on how the United States would deal with a post-Saddam Iraq.
Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, who serves on the same committee, felt the president had given a sober inventory of the threats and challenge the United States faced, speaking of the war on terror, North Korea as well as Iraq.
"I thought he hit it just about right," he told reporters afterwards.
Democratic Senator John McCain, member of the Armed Services Committee, told CNN Bush needed to "provide more information" before putting American lives in harm's way, but that he had "made a good case to the American people."
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Bush's announcement that Powell would go before the UN Security Council next week "left doors open.
"But I interpreted it that a vote (on Iraq) was probably not in the making; at the end of the day, the president would decide what's in the best interest of the safety of the American people and lead a coalition to disarm Saddam Hussein," Frist added.
In his annual State of the Nation address, the US leader also promised to revive the sluggish US economy and called on lawmakers to earmark an additional 10 billion dollars to an "emergency plan" to combat AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean.
Gee, how could they have ever thought McCain is a DemocRAT?
katt, this sort of "visual sound bite" may not have originated from the clintons, but it was certainly honed to a fine art during their eight-year rape & pillage of America...
Who can forget Hillarrhea!'s "bobbing bird-head" visuals during her phony conferences, or Mr. bill's hoards of "the children" who surrounded him at every sound-bite?
Gee, how could they have ever thought McCain is a DemocRAT?
Excellent Catch!! That is absolutely hilarious. Maybe the source, Agence France-Presse, is so familiar with the tradition of switching allegiances for convenience, that they just kind of assumed it.
Reaction Mainly Positive...Nice headline. And probably very accurate. But does it match the content of the article?
US Senator Jim Jeffords, an Independent from Vermont, remained seated shaking his head as lawmakers around him stood to applaud President George W. Bush's national address.That doesn't sound positive."As far as I'm concerned he declared war on Iraq tonight," said Jeffords, who stands politically with opposition Democrats. "He left himself no out other than going to war."
Democrats, such as the moderate John Breaux, said "No", the speech was not a declaration of war, and added they were relieved to hear that Secretary of State Colin Powell was to provide evidence to the UN Security Council on February 5 of Iraqi defiance of UN resolutions that he disarm.That sounds kinda neutral. Not positive.
In the Democrats' televised response to the speech, Washington state Governor Gary Locke said the United States should work with the United Nations in dealing with Iraq and North Korea.That's not positive."We also support the president in working with our allies and the United Nations to eliminate the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il of North Korea," Locke said.
"We support the president in the course he has followed so far: working with Congress, working with the United Nations, insisting on strong and unfettered inspections."
Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy announced he would introduce a resolution to require the president to go before the US Congress and present convincing evidence of an imminent threat before the US sends troops to war with Iraq.That's not positive.
"It's another dilatory tactic," said Republican Senator George Allen. Bush, he insisted, had "laid out a very ... compelling and convincing case" on Iraq.Hey, finally they found a supportive quote!"I think it was close to the final warning to Saddam," he added. "There are just so many times we can turn the other cheek."
Some, like Senator Joe Biden, the top Democrat in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, felt Bush's address to the nation was short on details, particularly on how the United States would deal with a post-Saddam Iraq.That's not positive.
Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, who serves on the same committee, felt the president had given a sober inventory of the threats and challenge the United States faced, speaking of the war on terror, North Korea as well as Iraq.About right? That is kinda sorta positive, maybe."I thought he hit it just about right," he told reporters afterwards.
Democratic Senator John McCain, member of the Armed Services Committee, told CNN Bush needed to "provide more information" before putting American lives in harm's way, but that he had "made a good case to the American people."That's not positive.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Bush's announcement that Powell would go before the UN Security Council next week "left doors open.That's kinda positive."But I interpreted it that a vote (on Iraq) was probably not in the making; at the end of the day, the president would decide what's in the best interest of the safety of the American people and lead a coalition to disarm Saddam Hussein," Frist added.
But I tell ya. It is like the headline writer and the story writer didn't talk about the same thing.
They're from France.
One can only hope that Teddy will be first in line to sign up for the benefits offered in President Bush's earmarked budget for addiction services. Perhaps Teddy will recover from his life-long 'black-out' and start paying attention to what is going on in the world and stop being so self-absorbed. Perhaps he will recover from both his addiction to power and glory and to his drinking problem. Ted, himself, is a 'poster-child' of what is WRONG in this world. And, without jest, when I ask the LORD to deliver us from evil, i visualize the likes of TED, the CLINTONS, and the religion of 'political correctness' that they have tried to nationalize.
President Bush's address last night marked the FIRST time in my life that I have EVER felt JOY and HOPE as a result of the genuine inspiration and a genuine focus on doing what is RIGHTEOUS of an American political leader--no matter WHAT the political and media hound-dogs say . Teddy, do us ALL a favor. SHUT UP!
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