Dean: Troops Deserve More Than Bush's 'Discredited' Rhetoric
Contact: Karen Finney of the Democratic National Committee, 202-863-8148; Web: http://www.democrats.org
WASHINGTON, June 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a release of the Democratic National Committee:
Disappointingly, the President followed Karl Rove's advice last night and linked Iraq to 9/11 no fewer than five times in just over 35 minutes. He ignored the concerns that Americans have expressed about the war, and still refused to provide real answers or a clear path to success in Iraq. Even former Reagan aide David Gergen expressed that he was "offended" by the number of times President Bush mentioned 9/11.
"Despite being previously forced to back away from unfounded assertions about links between 9-11 and the war in Iraq, President Bush once again twisted a national tragedy to distract from his own failed foreign policy," said DNC Chairman Howard Dean. "Instead of offering the American people a clear path to success in Iraq, President Bush returned to the same defensive and discredited rhetoric. The American people, and most especially our troops, who are serving with great courage, deserve better than discredited, shopworn political rhetoric from their Commander-in-Chief."
See below for a new document from DNC Research:
WHITE HOUSE ONCE AGAIN LINKS IRAQ AND 9/11 ATTACKS
In the President's speech last night, he clearly linked the 9- 11 attacks with the war in Iraq, implying that Saddam Hussein was involved and responsible for September 11th. However, the President himself was forced to disavow this link in September of 2003, after Secretary Rice and Secretary Rumsfeld stated there was no connection. Instead of offering the American people a clear path to success in Iraq, he returned to the same defensive and discredited rhetoric. Patriotism and love of country does not demand endless sacrifice on the part of our troops. The American people deserve honest leadership and honest answers.
Reagan Aide David Gergen "Offended" by Repeated Mention of 9/11. "I was troubled and offended by the regularity of coming back to 9/11, because as you say, none of the terrorists were linked to Saddam and there has been this myth for a long time that is not true that Saddam is somehow responsible for 9/11..." (CNN, 6/28/05)
WHEN MAKING THE CASE FOR WAR DURING 2003, THE WHITE HOUSE LINKED IRAQ AND THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS
President Bush Links "End of Major Combat" In Iraq With September 11th Attacks. In his speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, President Bush stated "The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror...We have not forgotten the victims of September the 11th -- the last phone calls, the cold murder of children, the searches in the rubble. With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States. And war is what they got." (Remarks by the President, 5/1/03)
Vice President Cheney States That The War In Iraq Is A Strike Against the Terrorists Who Had America Under Assault On 9/11. On Meet the Press, Vice President Cheney stated, "If we're successful in Iraq...we will have struck a major blow right at the heart of the base, if you will, the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11." (NBC's Meet the Press, 9/14/03)
Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Stated That Going To War With Iraq Costs "A Heck Of A Lot Less" Than The Cost Of The September 11th Attacks. Secretary Rumsfeld stated that although he could not estimate the cost of a war with Iraq, "It would cost a heck of a lot less than 9-11 cost and 9-11 would cost a heck of a lot less than a chemical or biological 9-11." (AP, 2/13/03)
WHITE HOUSE FORCED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS NO LINK BETWEEN 9/11 AND SADDAM HUSSEIN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003...
BUSH
"No, we've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th." (FNS, 9/17/03)
RICE
"...We have never claimed that Saddam Hussein had either, that Saddam Hussein had either direction or control of 9/11." (ABC, 9/16/03)
RUMSFELD
"I've not seen any indication that would lead me to believe that I could say that (Saddam Hussein was involved in the September 11th attacks)." (CNN, 9/16/03)
...BUT NOW BUSH IS RETURNING TO DISCREDITED RHETORIC
BUSH
"We went to war because we were attacked." (Radio Address, 6/18/05)
"This war reached our shores on September 11, 2001." (Bush Speech at Ft. Bragg, 6/28/05)
Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, http://www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
-0-
/© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
