Last week marked the fifth anniversary of the votes in the House and Senate to authorize the Iraq War. The resolution was called "A joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq." The Senate roll call vote is here.
Yet, we still hear spin from candidates that their vote was a vote for diplomacy. The facts say otherwise.
I've been reading through transcripts and speeches made back in October of 2002. It's really amazing to see again just how jingoistic and blood-thirsty politicians were in the build-up to the Iraq war. The Bush administration made it very clear that the vote in October of 2002 was a vote for war. After the House voted for the Iraq war resolution on October 10, 2002, and shortly before the Senate vote the next day, then-Bush Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said it quite bluntly -- this is a vote for Bush to use force for a war. Bush wasn't hedging. Every Senator who voted knew they were voting for war, no matter what they say now.
Here's the transcript of the press briefing on October 10, 2002:
Q If the President gets the same kind of a vote from the Senate, does he feel that he can immediately or at any point have a free hand to go to war?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, under the Constitution, Helen, the President, of course, does have the authority --
Q -- or even with or without allies.
MR. FLEISCHER: Under the Constitution, the President does have the authority as Commander-in-Chief to make those determinations. The President has asked -- said he would ask the Congress to weigh in on this matter, and the Congress is doing so and doing it today. And the President thinks that will be very helpful in keeping the peace. The President has made no decisions about what the next step will be. Clearly, we will continue to talk to the United Nations about the inspection process, and that's where the matter currently stands. Q But he would never go back to Congress again for another go-ahead? I mean, he considers this the green light?
MR. FLEISCHER: The Congress is speaking today about authorization of the use of force. Today's vote by the Congress is an important vote.
Yes, that was an important vote. A vote to go to war. In 2002, everyone knew it. And, they still do.
