Need comments on LTTE regarding the debate!!!

[T Roosevelt]

This is for the Orlando Sentinel, word limit is 250 words (draft is 253 - close enough).


Mr Bush during the debate made a statement that the media should acknowledge it for what it is: a lie. In response to Mr Kerry's statement that "We would have had sanctions. We would have had the U.N. inspectors. Saddam Hussein would have been continually weakening", Mr Bush responded "that another round of resolutions would have caused Saddam Hussein to disarm, disclose, is ludicrous, in my judgment."

The facts support Kerry. Despite earlier claims by Mr Bush, the inspectors were in Iraq before the invasion, they were not finding any weapons of mass destruction (and none have been found in the 18 months since), and Saddam Hussein DID disclose his status and programs. Over thirteen thousand pages were provided to the Bush administration by Hussein, who within a day, and with a compliant media, declared that nothing was in those documents, and that Hussein was still deceiving the world.

And yet Mr Bush continued. "We tried diplomacy. We did our best." Again, factually incorrect. The administration did not even hold to the conditions of the Iraqi War Resolution that they criticize Kerry for. The IWR required Bush to gather a real coalition - he didn't. It required him to allow the inspectors to do their job - he didn't. It required him to go back to the UN - he didn't.

Bottom line is that Bush misled, and continues to mislead, this country regarding the war on terror and the invasion of Iraq. Americans expect and deserve better, and with Mr Kerry Americans can do better.

On edit: sentence typos

[pagerbear]

1. Dude, check your first four words

Otherwise great letter.

[T Roosevelt]

3. Changed thoughts mid-sentence

[MasonJar]

2. There is a problem with your first sentence; it is either missing a

word or it needs to be divided into two sentences. The rest is clear and powerful.

[gratuitous]

4. This is a good point to zero in on

Take out the "Mr."s and you're probably below the word limit. Anyway, let me take a swing at recasting your letter:

During the debate last night, President Bush made a statement that the media should acknowledge for what it is: a lie. In response to John Kerry's statement that "We would have had sanctions. We would have had the U.N. inspectors. Saddam Hussein would have been continually weakening", Bush responded "that another round of resolutions would have caused Saddam Hussein to disarm, disclose, is ludicrous, in my judgment."

However, despite earlier claims by Bush, the inspectors in Iraq before the invasion were not finding any weapons of mass destruction (and none have been found in the 18 months since). Over 13,000 pages were provided to the Bush administration by Hussein. Within a day, and with the help of a compliant media, Bush declared that nothing was in those documents, and that Hussein was still deceiving the world.

Bush also claimed last night, "We tried diplomacy. We did our best." Again, factually incorrect. The administration did not hold to the conditions of the Iraqi War Resolution passed by Congress, and for which they criticize Kerry so vehemently. The IWR required Bush to gather a real coalition - he didn't. It required him to allow the inspectors to their job - he didn't. It required him to go back to the UN - he didn't.

Bush misled the country then, and continues to mislead the country regarding the war on terror and the invasion of Iraq now. Americans deserve better and with Kerry, Americans can do better.

[T Roosevelt]

5. Good comments

I'm never quite sure how to manage titles and such, though I hate to refer to * as "President"...