On "Meet the Press" on October 28, Tim Russert once again proved he is the voice for the Republican Party and George Bush concerning the war in Iraq. Senator Chris Dodd was asked his position on the Iraq War several times and Russert then put statements on the screen that Dodd made in the past that represented only part of what he said. Dodd had to point out on two occasions that Russert should go back to the statement he made in 2004 to get the full story.
It is typical of Russert to quote only part of people's statement and then try to use that to show a lack of consistency. A few weeks ago on Meet the Press, presidential candidate John Edwards also had to correct Russert when he showed a partial statement concerning Mrs. Edwards.
Then Russert asked Senator Dodd, "Are we safer today...and if our men and women in uniform in Iraq have died in vain?" The fact is we are not safer today. We have lost almost 4000 troops in Iraq and over 2000 people in the tragic attack of 9-11. Both events happened on Bush's watch. Mr. Russert needs to understand our men and women in uniform are Americans so therefore America is less safe. The Clinton administration went 7 years and 9 months without a foreign terror attack on U.S. soil. George Bush's administration will never match that safety record for this great country.
Our men and women in uniform go where the President and Commander in Chief tells them to go. They do their duty, serve their country, and therefore never die in vain. George Bush started a war and occupation in Iraq and committed our troops to an unnecessary war over WMD that did not exist. The casualties that America has suffered are the result of his reckless behavior and incompetent decisions and not providing our troops with the proper equipment to protect themselves from the type of attacks the war has exposed them too.
Mr. Russert, like Bush, is careless when talking about this war and asking if our troops have died in vain. Russert should ask Mr. Bush why he did not possess the wisdom, character, or maturity to make sure his information was rock solid before starting a war and occupation over WMD that did not exist. The best intelligence on the ground in Iraq before Bush started this war was the U.N. inspectors. They said over and over again that Iraq was disarmed of those weapons but Bush tried to play god and disregarded their findings.
This is the same Russert who let Dick Cheney tell the american people on Meet the Press, prior to the war, that Iraq reconstituted its nuclear program and then never asked Cheney for proof. And this is the same Russert who months after the war started had Cheney back on his show and Cheney said he was wrong about Iraq reconstituting its nuclear program. This statement came after no WMD were found and many lives were lost and Russert let that statement slip by without pressing Cheney for some answers about his and Bush's incompetence. I those those who watch Meet the Press will realize the lack of creditability on the real issues that really matter and I hope they themselves will look for the facts, because Tim Russert can not be trusted to give them.
