Interesting Josh Marshall piece on Kerry's Iraq stance

[DJcairo]

http://www.thehill.com/marshall/090303.aspx

[sandnsea]

1. I want to be a writer

A whole column and a fat paycheck to say three sentences:

"As nearly as I can figure it, Kerry’s position was to get inspectors back in the country and then see if America’s national interests could be safeguarded short of war."

"If war was necessary, he was willing to wage it. But if he did so, it would be with the mix of planning and international support that would avoid the parade of deadly misjudgments we’ve seen over the last few months."

I really don't get what is so hard to understand about this.

[ProfessorPlum]

3. You know,

that position of Kerry's is fine. The only problem was, Kerry was not in charge. Bush was. Kerry might have needed to figure that fact into his equations a little more. What do you do with all of those excellent intentions when you are being rushed to war by a war-profiteering, war-mongering, fear-mongering, lying bastard who has no problem with making deadly misjudgments?

This is the only point where Kerry's logic falls down for me. But we all make mistakes - I think he'd be an excellent nominee and president.

But I think it is wrong to present this as crystal clear, defensible logic on Kerry's part. Something about it was not well thought out, or at least it was politically, rather than logically, motivated. Which is also OK - I just object to this being presented as a really logical conclusion on Kerry's part.

[sandnsea]

4. It seems crystal clear to me

Now if Hillary Clinton were trying to claim her war vote to be something other than full support for war, I'd agree with you. I've read her statements all the way through to the time the war was launched. Full support, all the way.

That was just never Kerry's position. Never. He expressed concern back in 2002 that Bush had started this thing with war rhetoric instead of in a diplomatic manner. He said he was satisfied Bush had changed his course and was going to the UN, working internationally, and working with the inspections process only to disarm Saddam Hussein.

Obviously that proved to be wrong. One's own distrust of Bush can lead one to say he should have known better. Maybe so. But I don't find anything inherently wrong in believing a 'President' will properly represent this country. George Bush is the one who failed in that obligation and the wrath should be directed at him.

[ProfessorPlum]

6. fair enough

the fault, at the end of the day, certainly lies with Bush. Misplaced trust is hardly the worst thing for Kerry to have. It just galls that it was misplaced trust in Chimpy, who would be the last person on earth I would trust to do anything right.

[Larkspur]

2. Marshall supported the war

based upon Pollack's book. He had originally opposed the war but after reading Pollack's book he became a reluctant pro-war advocate. Now Pollack's assertions are looking as suspect as Bush's.

Kerry's big problem is that he screwed up both Iraq War votes -- 1991 and 2002, and if he admits that he is wrong then he would be admitting that he is incompetent to being President.

Both Kerry and Marshall are really saying "Oh crap! I was wrong but can't admit it publicly." Their "nuanced" defense of their support for the war is their only way to try to muddle the fact that they erred. It's hard to admit, especially over an issue like war, that you are wrong.

[sandnsea]

5. Not really

One can vote to stay out of the whole ME Iraq thing in 1991 and then accept the responsibility to resolve a mess that has been made, even if you didn't think it was a good idea to make the mess in the first place. Same position we're in today, thanks to George Bush. Kerry just doesn't strike me as a person who gets bogged down in placing blame in the middle of a crisis. Fix the problems first, then go back and sift through everything that went wrong.

[CWebster]

7. Stretching credibility beyond the limit

The reality is that Kerry trusted Bush to do the intelligent thing even though Bush consistantly demonstrated---24/7 his plan all along.