Why did it take us so long to invade Iraq?

From time to time some Leftie will pull himself off the floor and mutter, for the trillionth time, “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.”

This has continued almost unabated for at least 6 years and it has almost rewritten history. Time to take a look and understand that the only problem these slobbering ones have is that is a meaningless statement.

The question should be, why did Bush and the Senate, Democrats included, decide to invade Iraq?

Could it be that Bush was concerned for the safety of the country? I mean what a concept. I wonder where he could have gotten such an idea?

Perhaps it was that everyone believed Iraq had WMD’s. And everyone includes the CIA, NSA, FBI and every other major security group in the world. I mean here we had been attacked on 9/11 and the people that we hire to know such things all said, “Yep. Saddam has’em.”

Now besides all of the world’s intelligence agencies, what did they have? Well, for one thing the Clinton DOJ had told them in an indictment issued 11/6/1998.

“New York -- A U.S. Federal Grand Jury in New York on Nov. 5 issued an indictment against Usama Bin Laden alleging that he and others engaged in a long-term conspiracy to attack U.S. facilities overseas and to kill American citizens.

The indictment noted that Al Qaeda, Bin Laden's international terrorist group, forged alliances with the National Islamic Front in Sudan and with the government of Iran and with its associated group Hezballah to "work together against their perceived common enemies in the West, particularly the United States."

Additionally, the indictment states that Al Qaeda reached an agreement with Iraq not to work against the regime of Saddam Hussein and that they would work cooperatively with Iraq, particularly in weapons development.”

Link

And then we have:

“The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) is the intelligence community's authoritative written judgment on specific national-security issues. The 2002 NIE provided a key judgment: "Iraq has continued its [WMD] programs in defiance of U.N. resolutions and restrictions. Baghdad has chemical and biological weapons as well as missiles with ranges in excess of U.N. restrictions; if left unchecked, it probably will have a nuclear weapon during this decade."

Link

Of course Saddam had done nothing for his image by sending money to the families of suicide bombers who killed themselves while killing Jews, and anyone else who was in the immediate vicinity.

Link

And then we knew this, which is included in Fitzgerald’s 9/11 Commission testimony.

“We did understand from people, including al-Fadl -- and my recollection is that he would have described this most likely in public at the trial that we had, but I can't tell you that for sure; that was a few years ago -- that at a certain point they decided that they wouldn't work against each other and that we believed a fellow in al Qaeda named Mondu Saleem (ph), Abu Harzai (ph) the Iraqi, tried to reach a, sort of, understanding where they wouldn't work against each other. Sort of, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Link

I mean, that is all that Bush had.

Oh yeah. Even Joe Wilson thought that Iraq was trying to purchase uranium and had told the CIA that.

The CIA's DO gave the former ambassador's information a grade of "good," which means that it added to the IC's body of understanding on the issue, ( ). The possible grades are unsatisfactory, satisfactory, good, excellent, and outstanding, which, according to the Deputy Chief of CPD, are very subjective. SENTENCE DELETED The reports officer said that a "good" grade was merited because the information responded to at least some of the outstanding questions in the Intelligence Community, but did not provide substantial new information. He said he judged that the most important fact in the report was that the Nigerien officials admitted that the Iraqi delegation had traveled there in 1999, and that the Nigerien Prime Minister believed the Iraqis were interested in purchasing uranium, because this provided some confirmation of foreign government service reporting.

Link

I mean really, shouldn't the question be....

George, what took you so long?



On Twitter I am Lesabre1

Nashville gives away $33,000

I know this isn't much with all the stuff going on, but think about this.

Metro school board members last week voted to spend $33,000 in taxpayer money — but don't bother asking what it was for.

Board members refused to release any information about whom the money was given to or why it was paid out, saying only that it was part of a confidential legal settlement. Student privacy laws, they say, keep them from releasing any more information.

Student privacy is also the reason the school district cites for not releasing hundreds of signed parent forms related to a controversial school rezoning. At least one Metro parent who is suing over the rezoning claims his form was forged.

Both of these instances highlight the legal latitude school officials claim to have when considering whether to make public information about how the district operates.

The above is why we have the national problems. I cannot imagine, say 30 years ago, the public allowing such nonsense. Yet some how, over time, we allowed things like this to become "legal." To become "business as usual."

Wanna take back Washington? Tell the folks in Nashville to take back their school board.

Link



On Twitter I am Lesabre1

Your tax dollars at work.

House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, pictured standing, far right, speaks while colleagues Rep. Barbara Lambert,

D-Milford and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a new budget. (AP)
The guy sitting in the row in front of these two... he's on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking out the baseball scores.

I can't add a single thing to this.

Hat tip to Bill T!



On Twitter I am Lesabre1

Death Panels! They're back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WASHINGTON – It's alive. The Medicare end-of-life planning provision that 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said was tantamount to "death panels" for seniors is staying in the latest Democratic health care bill unveiled Thursday.

The provision allows Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling to help beneficiaries deal with the complex and painful decisions families face when a loved one is approaching death.

I mean not that I'm surprised. Are you?

Link

And in case you think Palin was a little over heated, let us revisit what Ezekiel Emanuel, Obama's health care advisor, had to say about such things.

This civic republican or deliberative democratic conception of the good provides both procedural and substantive insights for developing a just alloca- tion of health care resources. Procedurally, it suggests the need for public forums to deliberate about which health services should be considered basic and should be socially guaranteed.

For my slower readers, that means you Lefties, that means a group of people deciding what health care services people should get. Let's pursue what he meant.

Substantively, it suggests services that promote the continuation of the polity-those that ensure healthy future genera- tions, ensure development of practical reasoning skills, and ensure full and active participation by citizens in public deliberations-are to be socially guaranteed as basic.

Conversely, services provided to individuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens are not basic and should not be guaranteed.

.

Again for my Lefte readers, that means no disabled folks should apply.

An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia. A less obvious example Is is guaranteeing neuropsychological services to ensure children with learning disabilities can read and learn to reason.

Link

He means it boys and girls. Not for himself, of course, but for the "others." The children that can offer nothing but love and being able to dress themselves by age 9. The mother that remembers your Senior Prom but not seeing you yesterday.

Of course you have a duty to the state. You exist only to serve the state. Love the state. Pay no attention to the ovens being built.



Hat tip to Buffy!


On Twitter I am Lesabre1

Roosevelt and immigration in 1907

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. . and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'

What a concept. 100% loyalty to the new country returned as 100% loyalty to the new citizen.

Of course when you have much of the so called "elites" hating the country....

Hat tip to Mike L!



On Twitter I am Lesabre1

Story of my life

Old Jim and Bud are drinking in a bar.

Bud says: "Did you know that Elks have sex 10 to 15 times a night?"

"Aw crap..," says Old Jim, "and I just joined the VFW!"

Hat tip to Jimmy M



On Twitter I am Lesabre1

Pure as the driven snow and as a big a loser as a snowman in July

I have made no secret that I call myself a social liberal who is strong on defense, hates PC bullshit and understands that our culture is under attack by the radical Muslims and the Left, who many times seem to be allies of each other.

What that means in a practical sense is that I don't care if John marries Jack or if Sue marries Peggy. That it is condemned in the Bible is a fact, but so is boffing your neighbor's wife or husband and I will let the individuals involved sort out their actions on earth and God can adjudicate the results at a later time.

I am also against abortion that is not done to save the mother's life but after counseling the woman involved I am not going to interfere. It is the woman's right.

I also think blacks and other minorities have been treated unfairly and deserve and need some protection in our laws. That leaves a wide door open for Sharpton and Jackson and other poverty pimps but I think, maybe hope is the better word, that they will not be succeeded. And yes, I am disgusted at much of the black culture that is destroying whole generations through unwed mothers and a societal acceptance of gangs and welfare. I don't have the answer but I know Bojangles isn't coming back. And while I have suggestions this is not the time and place to discuss them.

Drugs are a huge problem but locking up users and marginal sellers won't fix the problem. I have often noted that I would legalize MJ and sell it while giving away coke and heroin to registered addicts. As easy that would be, people who sell any drug to children would be dealt with harshly. Speed, date rape, PCP, etc., would be dealt with very harshly.

I also understand that Obama's health care plan won't work and is designed to destroy Medicare while extending free care to his base.

So you might say that while I am not a Republican I am smart enough to know that what the Left wants has nothing to do with me being a Social Liberal, and everything with seizing and maintaining power while destroying the country.

In other words I am happy to vote for any Repub running against any Demo.

Why? Because it is the majority party that gets to select the Speaker, the Majority Leader, control the committees and decide what legislation gets brought to the floor for a vote. As an example let me note that if many Repubs hadn't set on their thumbs in 2006 and 2008 you just might have won enough seats to control the House and Cap and Trade, health care, etc., would not even have been voted on.

So all you oh so pure Repubs who are busy splitting the party in the District 23 of NY have my disgust. You think you can beat Obamie by yourselves. Well, you can't.

So grow up. A half a loaf is better than none.


On Twitter I am Lesabre1