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Showing Original Post only (View all)John Kerry says he ‘opposed the president’s (George W. Bush) decision to go into Iraq’ [View all]
Fact-checking website Politifact.com rules that his statement is "mostly false."
Kerry said recently that he "opposed the presidents decision to go into Iraq." In 2002, he voted to give the president the authority to attack, with a stern warning that Bush ought to exhaust diplomatic channels first. In 2003, as the president invaded, Kerry accused him of a "failure of diplomacy."
As a Democratic presidential primary unfolded in which the war was unpopular, Kerry kept up his criticism of Bushs handling of the war. But he still said at a 2003 debate that he thought it was "the right decision" to disarm Hussein and that "when the president made that decision, I supported him." In 2004, he said he would vote to authorize force all over again.
Its clear Kerry opposed the presidents handling of the war, and perhaps the presidents decision to "go into Iraq" militarily at the time he did. He suggested diplomatic opportunities were squandered. But he did vote to authorize force, and he said later he supported the presidents decision to disarm Hussein. It was a nuanced position one too nuanced to be summarized accurately by a claim as blunt as having "opposed the presidents decision to go into Iraq."
These are critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate Kerrys claim Mostly False.
All emphasis is mine.
Let me kill one likely counterargument before it even shows up in the thread. Some will try to defend Kerry by pointing out that he warned Bush that he needed to find a diplomatic solution first. Well, why then did Kerry say in 2004 that he would have trusted Bush with authorization of force AGAIN, if he was so much against Bush's non-diplomatic solution? Why did he say in 2003 (after the war began) about Bush's decision, that "I supported him"?
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/sep/13/john-kerry/secretary-state-john-kerry-says-senator-he-opposed/
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John Kerry says he ‘opposed the president’s (George W. Bush) decision to go into Iraq’ [View all]
Stupefacto
Sep 2013
OP
he was looking at the facts but voted anyway. anyone who allowed this atrocity
roguevalley
Sep 2013
#30
It was a joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.
rug
Sep 2013
#8
This is the danger of AUMF style resolutions as opposed to straight up War! declarations
kenny blankenship
Sep 2013
#19
Senators Boxer and Durbin voted against the IWR, but voted for the Syria resolution:
ProSense
Sep 2013
#25
Those who voted No should be lauded. And special note that the single Republican who
Bluenorthwest
Sep 2013
#53
A politician that takes on a new function is free to rewrite his voting history?
Celefin
Sep 2013
#51
It's worse, he was not asked, he offered up this misinformation in service to himself
Bluenorthwest
Sep 2013
#54