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WEAPONS OF MASS DISTORTION

For more than three years now, President George W. Bush has been attacked by his political enemies on his foreign policy, specifically on the War in Iraq. On Monday March 20, I received the following email from the chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

Dear Kevin,

Three years have now passed since the start of the Iraq war.

First Americans were misled by the use of manipulated intelligence and outright false claims about Iraq's ties to September 11th. Since then, we have received a steady stream of propaganda, declaring "Mission Accomplished", describing an insurgency in its "last throes" and claiming great progress as Iraq descends into civil war.

The distortions continued this afternoon, as President Bush took the stage and again misled people. Here's what he said:

BUSH: "First, just if I might correct a misperception, I don't think we ever said -- at least I know I didn't say that there was a direct connection between September the 11th and Saddam Hussein."

That is false. In fact, almost exactly three years ago he did just that:

"The use of armed forces against Iraq is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." [President George W. Bush, Letter to Congress, 3/21/03]

Republicans in the White House and Congress have a three-part political strategy on Iraq: ignore the reality on the ground, cover up past failures and distortions, and attack the patriotism of anyone who demands accountability. None of that will solve anything in Iraq, and none of it will make America safer.

Fighting back requires only one strategy -- telling the truth. You can combat the distortions and get the truth out in your community by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper. Our letters-to-the-editor tool makes it fast and simple...

Every day more and more Americans are stepping up and speaking out about failed Republican leadership and what it's done to, and failed to do for, our country. And just as importantly, Democrats in Congress and in communities across the country are fighting back.

Last week nearly 90,000 Americans like you singled out Republican Senator Wayne Allard for accusing a Democrat of siding with terrorists by demanding accountability from the Bush administration for its illegal domestic spying program.

That quick reaction by Democrats who won't stand for this kind of disgusting attack put Allard on the hot seat and generated press coverage of his ridiculous, desperate comments. Your steadfast defense of Democrats like Harry Reid, Jack Murtha and Russ Feingold when they have stood up and demanded accountability shows everyone that there will be a political price for underhanded and un-American attacks.

People are tired of this administration's dangerous incompetence and consistently misleading statements. No wonder new polls confirm that Americans continue to lose confidence in George Bush and the Republicans' ability to lead. Only a third of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing overall, and 61 percent disapprove of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq.

These numbers mean that Americans are ready for us to lead.

That's why later this week you'll receive a note announcing a massive Democratic Party mobilization planned for next month. We are putting together the final details for you right now.

Check your email later this week for news about how you can play a leading role in the biggest, earliest election year mobilization in history.

Thank you,

Tom McMahon
Executive Director
Democratic National Committee

Well, let me answer these points one at a time:

"First Americans were misled by the use of manipulated intelligence and outright false claims about Iraq's ties to September 11th."

First of all, I dispute the claim that there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD's). Just because we didn't find them doesn't mean they didn't exist. In fact, we have indisputable evidence that they did exist! Saddam Hussein used WMD's on his own people prior to the Coalition invasion of Iraq and admitted, after his capture, that he'd had plans to develop more. I am of the belief that the United Nations' handling of the case prior to the Coalition's invasion was so ineptly-handled that Saddam's regime was able to successfully hide or destroy their WMD's before we could recover them.

There is evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime actually supported Osama bin Laden, as well. For example, as Mona Charen points out in an article at TownHall.com,

One [of the captured Saddam Hussein documents] shows that an official from Iraq's government met with Osama bin Laden on Feb. 19, 1995, with the explicit permission of Saddam Hussein. When bin Laden was forced to leave Sudan, the Iraqi documents contain a handwritten note saying, "The relationship with him is still through the Sudanese. We're currently working on activating this relationship through a new channel in light of his current location" (Afghanistan). The notes also reveal that Osama bin Laden suggested "carrying out joint operations against foreign forces" in Saudi Arabia.

Obviously, Saddam Hussein did have WMD's and he did have ties to Osama bin Laden. But that's beside the point. Why? Because the Democrats would have us believe that George W. Bush and his administration intentionally "manipulated intelligence" and made "outright false claims about Iraq's ties to September 11th." Translation: Bush lied. But the truth is; if Bush lied, so did Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, and all the other politicians in the "Bush lied" crowd. They all made similar public statements, claiming that Saddam Hussein was directly-linked to 9/11.

For the record; I believe, and am arguing, that Saddam Hussein was linked to 9/11. But that's not the argument. DNC Executive Director Tom McMahon claims that President Bush made, and later denied, that claim. Let's look at McMahon's quote of what the President actually said:

"The use of armed forces against Iraq is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001."

Note that the President is citing actions "against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." (emphasis mine). He did not say "only against those nations, organizations or person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001," he said "against international terrorists and terrorist organizations including those... who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." Saddam Hussein and his regime easily fell into that category of international terrorists and terrorist organizations. Even if Saddam Hussein and his regime were not directly-linked with Osama bin Laden (which the evidence shows he and they were), the President's statement did not make that claim.

Who is really "misleading" the people? Look at the evidence. It's obviously the Democratic National Committee. Saddam had his Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Democrats have their Weapons of Mass Distortion.

Mr. McMahon claims that the Republican political strategy on Iraq is to "ignore the reality on the ground, cover up past failures and distortions, and attack the patriotism of anyone who demands accountability." I would argue that these are the Democrats' strategies. A careful, open-minded study of the Democratic claims, including the above-cited email from the DNC, reveals that it is they who are ignoring reality and covering their own failures and distortions. George W. Bush did not make any claims prior to the Coalition's action than the Democrats made. The Democrats were privy to the same information that the Republicans received, and yet the Republicans lied... the Democrats were deceived. The plain truth is that, even if the intelligence was faulty, Republicans and Democrats were equally misinformed. The only intentional deception is being perpetrated now by the Democrats in their politically-driven attacks on the White House.

Next, McMahon challenges what he calls the Bush administration's "illegal domestic spying program." The fact is, such a program does not exist. There is no "illegal domestic spying program." The program that exists encompasses the surveillance of communications between known terrorists overseas and suspected terrorists in the U.S. When you take a domestic flight, you stay within the defined borders. If and when you cross those borders, the flight is no longer domestic, but international. When you (in the U.S.) make a phone call to a foreign country, how is that billed by your phone company? Is it a domestic call or an international call? Think about it for a moment and you will clearly see that the DNC's usage of the term "domestic" in this regard is a use of weapons of mass-distortion.

Let's not forget that President Bill Clinton also used these types of programs during his administration. These are policies that have been used by many Presidential administrations as a practical aspect inherently bestowed upon their Executive powers. It's only now that a Republican President has used this authority that it is challenged and labled "illegal" by the political opposition.

The bottom line is that Iraq is better off without Saddam Hussein. The United States is better off without Saddam Hussein. The world is better off without Saddam Hussein. If the Democrats were in power over the past several years, Saddam Hussein would undoubtedly still be in power. President Bush didn't lie any more than the Democrats did. Yes, there have been mistakes made on both sides of the political spectrum; but the DNC's attempts to rewrite history and make George W. Bush out to be "the bad guy" are insidious. And it's up to free-thinking individuals such as myself to point out the truth so that we will not be deceived. If we remain vigilant, we will see the truth and the truth will set us free.

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Recommended Reading: "What the Captured Documents Show" by Mona Charen

HELLO AGAIN

Hello. It's been quite a while since my last update. I have been extremely busy with some of the ministries with which I am associated, now including the Ohio Valley Christian Music Association. For more information about the OVCMA, visit their website at www.ovcma.com.

Anyway, I thought it was time I added some material to this blog, so here goes...

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