"But whenever the debate turns to Iraq, Republicans are quick to turn Kerry's sometimes confusing positions on the war against him. After voting to give Bush authority to invade Iraq, Kerry criticized the president for doing so and said Bush should have pursued more diplomacy first."
This is nonsense from a press corp that has ceased to exercise ANY critical thinking, and which sees its job as simply repeating spin points.
The fact is that Bush declared that the vote for authorization was NOT a vote to go to war.
What Bush SAID was:
"Approving this resolution does not mean that military action is imminent or unavoidable.
The resolution will tell the United Nations, and all nations, that America speaks with one voice and is determined to make the demands of the civilized world mean something."
And Kerry referred to that when
explaining his vote on Iraq back in October 2002:
"As the President made clear earlier this week, "Approving this resolution does not mean that military action is imminent or unavoidable." It means "America speaks with one voice."...
...In giving the President this authority, I expect him to fulfill the commitments he has made to the American people in recent days--
To work with the United Nations Security Council to adopt a new resolution setting out tough and immediate inspection requirements, and to act with our allies at our side if we have to disarm Saddam Hussein by force.
If he fails to do so, I will be among the first to speak out."
Ok? That's what he said THEN, and it's what he says NOW.
Bush said that the vote WASN'T a vote for military action. Now he says it was. Flip-flop.
But Kerry said THEN exactly what he says NOW. That he gave Bush the authorization with the assumption that he would work with the international community and he would attack Bush if he FAILED to do so. And Bush DID fail to do so.
Does the press REALLY find this position confusing? "I voted to give Bush the authority to go to war, and he screwed it up." That's not complicated.
Congress gave Bush a license to drive. They didn't know he would drive recklessly and crash the car.
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