Reply #16: If you were a Senator doing the calculus...... [View All]

[Old and In the Way]

Bush is either-

(1) Telling the truth and maybe there is a barge sitting off the Eastern seaboard which could hit/incinerate Boston in 45 minutes. If I vote "No" and that happens, will my constituents be pissed? If there is another 9/11 type 'event' and the Iraqi's are fingered, Bush gets the Republican majority to pass a law outlawing Democrats...he'd probably find a few crossover votes on this bill, too.

(2) He's lying...but he's not stupid enough to start a war that even his old man realized would not be in our best interests. If I vote "Yes", I'll piss off the people at DU, but I'm not declaring war, the moderate middle sees I'm not playing politics on issues of national security. It's an authorization, not an obligation to invade Iraq. And this will force Saddam to show his hand if he does have WMD. I'm not holding a gun to George's head demanding that he invade, but if he wants this IWR, I'll give him the noose that he can hang himself with.