Mickey Kaus calls our attention to yet another old quote by Senator Kerry that has returned to haunt him. Today he may be claiming that Iraq was a "diversion" from the War on Terror, but here’s what he told John McLaughlin late in 2001:
I have no doubt, I’ve never had any doubt -- and I’ve said this publicly -- about our ability to be successful in Afghanistan. We are and we will be. The larger issue, John, is what happens afterwards. How do we now turn attention ultimately to Saddam Hussein? How do we deal with the larger Muslim world? What is our foreign policy going to be to drain the swamp of terrorism on a global basis?
So, in other words, his fear was that Afghanistan was a diversion from Saddam Hussein! As Megan McArdle over at Instapundit put it, "Don’t Kerry’s people know about the internet yet?"
literally and substantively nothing in that quote, nor the quote taken as a whole contradicts anything that Kerry has said. He clearly asks "How do we turn our attention...", and does not say, "we must invade Iraq quickly." Iraq is a diversion because of how we have gone about this: on our own (effectively), without enough troops, without post-war plans.
I dunno Chris, I sure don’t read it the way you do. What do you think Kerry means by draining the swamp, or "ultimately" turning our attention to Saddam? Taken with Kerry’s other statements previous to his run where he supported Bill Clinton’s efforts to remove Saddam from power, by ourselves if needed, I think it’s dizzy spinning indeed to now read it your way. And we did not invade Iraq quickly. We had a year long debate. We had UN meetings and a resolution. We had a build up. We did everything to telegraph our intensions short of inviting Saddam to the White House for a breifing.
The reason Kerry and his team will loose next Tuesday is because of this whistle- past-the-grave-yard mentality. They look at this trash a see a garden, whereas most Americans see the trash. Go ahead and see what you want, but failure to address the problem only guarantees a Bush win.
Chris, this is hardly the only Kerry quote that contradicts his current stance. There are literally dozens of times he has said, on t.v., things like your "invade Iraq" comment. Here’s a few of the obvious ones:
"Oh, I think we clearly have to keep the pressure on terrorism globally. This doesn’t end with Afghanistan by any imagination. . . And it is absolutely vital that we continue, for instance, Saddam Hussein." Larry King Live, 12/14/01
"Saddam Hussein wants to retain his arsenal . . . We cannot allow him to prevail in that quest. The weapons are an unacceptable threat." Senate Floor, 10/0/02
"I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him." Democratic Candidate Debate, 5/3/03
Perhaps you would like to parse these apart as well, and try to make Kerry’s words mean something that they do not. Well, sorry pal, but it isn’t "nuanced" to take completely opposite positions. It is just plain dishonest.
yeah chris, you see things in a peculiar way..