Wash. Congressman Questions Saddam Timing

[Dionysos]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...am_mcdermott_3

WASHINGTON - The Washington congressman who criticized President Bush (news - web sites) while visiting Baghdad last year has questioned the timing of the capture of deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., told a Seattle radio station Monday the U.S. military could have found Saddam "a long time ago if they wanted." Asked if he thought the weekend capture was timed to help Bush, McDermott chuckled and said: "Yeah. Oh, yeah."

The Democratic congressman went on to say, "There's too much by happenstance for it to be just a coincidental thing."

When interviewer Dave Ross asked again if he meant to imply the Bush administration timed the capture for political reasons, McDermott said: "I don't know that it was definitely planned on this weekend, but I know they've been in contact with people all along who knew basically where he was. It was just a matter of time till they'd find him.

"It's funny," McDermott added, "when they're having all this trouble, suddenly they have to roll out something."

State Republicans immediately condemned McDermott's remarks, saying the Seattle Democrat again was engaging in "crazy talk" about the Iraq (news - web sites) war.

"Once again McDermott has embarrassed this state with his irresponsible ranting," GOP state Chairman Chris Vance said in a news release. "Calling on him to apologize is useless, but I call on other Democrats to let the public know if they agree with McDermott — and Howard Dean (news - web sites), who recently said he thought it was possible that President Bush had advance knowledge about 9/11. The voters deserve to know if the entire Democratic Party believes in these sorts of bitter, paranoid conspiracy theories."

Last year, Vance and other Republicans labeled McDermott "Baghdad Jim" for comments he made during a trip to Baghdad that President Bush "would mislead the American people" but that Saddam could be trusted.

On Monday, Democrats joined the criticism of McDermott.

"With all due respect to my colleague, that is a fantasy," Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., said of McDermott's comments. "That just is not right. ... It's one thing to criticize this administration for having done this war. I mean, that's a fair question. But to criticize them on the capture of Saddam, when it's such a big thing to our troops, is just ridiculous."

McDermott, in a telephone interview with The Associated Press, called the timing of Saddam's capture suspicious but said he was not alleging it had been intentionally delayed.

"Everything was going wrong, and they got a real Christmas gift, if you will, in that the troops did a magnificent job and found" Saddam, he said.

[Leo]

Ya know, the thought of "how convenient" did cross my mind a time or two the other day. There's nothing but negativity coming out of the Iraqi situation and BAM!...we got Saddam.

Either way, I read someone else (I believe on here) who said the Dems are shooting themselves in the foot trying to make Bush look bad with this..and that's correct. They should just congratulate the troops on a job well done and go about their business. You know the majority of the American public, especially the uneducated population (which would be the majority I suppose), believe capturing Hussein will see an end to all things negative in Iraq. Better to go with the flow on this one, I believe.

[mc E]

if they could have captured him at any time I think they would have choose an even better moment.

[Dionysos]

Originally posted by mc E
if they could have captured him at any time I think they would have choose an even better moment.

...like during Bush's visit to Baghdad. Dubya loves his photo-ops, what could be better than a photo of him dragging Saddam out of a tiny hole in the ground?

[bfp]

Perfect timing for what? He is constantly being bashed by left-wing media types, it's just another day. Thanks congressman for politicizing this event in a negative way.


What a crock of shit

[Big Andy]

Originally posted by Leo
Ya know, the thought of "how convenient" did cross my mind a time or two the other day. There's nothing but negativity coming out of the Iraqi situation and BAM!...we got Saddam.

Either way, I read someone else (I believe on here) who said the Dems are shooting themselves in the foot trying to make Bush look bad with this..and that's correct. They should just congratulate the troops on a job well done and go about their business.

The left tends to rely on telling the story and hoping the people will see that they are right and good. But the public doesn't work that way. The public wants a charismatic guy to stand up and give them sound bytes and feed them bullshit to get them riled up about something. The right does that, or at least they're doing that with Bush.

If the Dem's want a shot at this, they're gonna have to force America some trendy sound byte laden bullshit, with some Texas flare to it. Other wise, it's 4 more years of Mr. Coke Head Cowboy.

[Dionysos]

Originally posted by Big Andy
The left tends to rely on telling the story and hoping the people will see that they are right and good. But the public doesn't work that way. The public wants a charismatic guy to stand up and give them sound bytes and feed them bullshit to get them riled up about something. The right does that, or at least they're doing that with Bush.

Replace Bush with Clinton and your argument still works. Successful politicians almost invariably have charisma and know how to tweak the media. This happens on both sides quite a bit.

[USAcommitteeX]

blah blah blah blah <---Best statement I've ever posted

[Ryan]

Yup, the Dems are f***ing this up proper. Catching Saddam should have been expected for the human and monetary price we've paid in this war. Sure it would be a boost to Bush, but it wouldn't be enough to bag the election this early. The Dems should have come out and congratulated the military and proposed their plan for moving forward and finishing up in Iraq. Instead, they all kept bashing Dean and making themselves sound desperate. They played right into the hands of the Bush administration and they're going to sink themselves if they don't turn their strategy around fast.

[knucklehead]

Originally posted by USAcommitteeX
blah blah blah blah <---Best statement I've ever posted

Actually, almost all statements made in this room of the ddm can be distilled to that statement.

Originally posted by mc E
if they could have captured him at any time I think they would have choose an even better moment.

like a week or two before the election.....

this allegation is absurd

certainly politicians and media people are conscious of when information is released and events occur - this was not a planned event

[bfp]

Originally posted by xiannaix
like a week or two before the election.....

this allegation is absurd

certainly politicians and media people are conscious of when information is released and events occur - this was not a planned event

Madeline Halfbright was interviewed a day or two ago, and she had stated that the Bush Administration knows where Bin Laden is as well, and that Bush is waiting for the perfect time to "capture" him.

Originally posted by bfp
Madeline Halfbright was interviewed a day or two ago, and she had stated that the Bush Administration knows where Bin Laden is as well, and that Bush is waiting for the perfect time to "capture" him.

well........ I have a bet on this issue. If captured or killed before date X I win - if after I lose -- GW better hurry -

http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a750.htm

[Big Andy]

Originally posted by Dionysos
Replace Bush with Clinton and your argument still works. Successful politicians almost invariably have charisma and know how to tweak the media. This happens on both sides quite a bit.

I know, but in the general public (not politicians specifically) the left is more prone to my statement.

In a way, you're saying exactly what I'm saying. The Dem's are gonna need more charisma than Dean if they want a shot at the White House.

Personally though, I don't have any faith or hope left in the United States constituency. I think no where in the developed industrialized world is there a higher concentration of fickle, irresponsible red neck baffouns who don't have half a brain between the billions of them. Unfortunately, their leader is in office right now, and will be for 4 more I'm afraid.

America was a great concept, and would work with a public even slightly more intelligent, but not with the people here. The appropriate political changes I don't think can be made without some major changes in the way our society thinks here in America.

But hey that's just my opinion, maybe I'm wrong and the leagues of racist, uneducated, homophobic red-necks and snobby, oblivious, fickle, trendy city dwellers are right. There's no utopia, but there has to be someplace more enlightened than this shit hole we call the north american continent.

Sorry for the rant, just running into an amazingly high number of stupid people lately.