Is it true Bell voted for the Iraq War Resolution?

[MrTriumph]

Is it true Bell voted for the Iraq War Resolution?

[jobycom]

1. He couldn't have. He wasn't in the House when it was passed.

I'm assuming you mean Chris Bell. He was elected in November 2002, and the bill was passed in October of 2002.

Link to congressional votes on the bill
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll455.xml

Link to Bell's biography:
http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=MTX52661

Political Experience:
Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Texas, District 9, 2004
Representative, United States House of Representatives, 2002-2004
Candidate, Houston Mayor, 2001
Position 4, Houston City Council at large, 1997-2001
Candidate for Houston City Council, 1995
Democratic Nominee for Texas House, 1984.

[MrTriumph]

2. Thanks for the quick reply

I was afraid he supported the invasion of Iraq. Um, he did not vote for making the funds for Iraq a gift instead of a grant, right?

[Texas_Kat]

5. Bell didn't vote for it, but ....

He supported it ..... and this makes his position clear:

Article from Houston Press
March 27, 2003

"Caught Between Iraq and a Hard Place

Another Democrat and former councilman, 25th District Congressman Chris Bell, took the opposite tack days earlier, at an antiwar vigil in Karl Young Park in southwest Houston. Bell backed the impending attack as justifiable to protect national security and eliminate the Iraqi regime's weapons of mass destruction. While he may have won some brownie points with the White House, the message was not what the Democratic crowd had gathered to hear.

Bell's manner as well as the substance of his remarks antagonized several listeners. According to one, he "was just annoying and seemed to be dropping names and shutting off people who tried to ask him questions. I thought we had some old Republican from Arizona talking to us instead of a Democrat."

Dale Napier, chair of the Democratic Anti-War Group, had invited Bell to the vigil and called his decision to attend "courageous." On the other hand, Napier says many were so miffed by Bell's stance that they boycotted a Bell fund-raiser and considered joining the Green Party.

The Harris County Democratic Party steering committee tried to balance support of the military with the antiwar stance of its majority. It passed a brief resolution stating "while we support the men and women in all Branches of the Military…the Harris County Democratic party opposes a pre-emptive war against Iraq without the support of the United Nations Security Council."

http://www.houstonpress.com/Issues/2003-03-27/news/insider.html

http://tinyurl.com/9cnud

[Czolgosz]

3. I'm more troubled by his vote for a screw-the-middle-class bankruptcy bill

[merci_me]

4. To get Chris Bell's take on the invasion

in the timeframe, here's an article from the Houston Press, March 27, 2003, one week after the invasion.

http://www.houstonpress.com/Issues/2003-03-27/news/insider.html

Dale Napier, who is also quoted in the article, was with the Harris County Howard Dean Campaign.

[Smarty Pants Liberal]

6. Dale Napier is a true progressive n/t

[MrTriumph]

7. Will Bell's bad judgement be an indicator of future decisions he will make

He may have been courageous to attend the meeting, but it sounds like Chris "WMD" Bell was dead wrong.

[Texas_Kat]

8. It's not an isolated case of his bad judgment

Drilling in Anwar, support for the Iraq War, voting for the bankruptcy bill, supporting Bush's energy policy, supporting Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy top 1%, I'd say it's a definite indicator of future actions.

Bell doesn't have the excuse that some other Dems in Texas do -- they are representing conservative districts like Chet Edwards--the 25th was a solidly Democratic district.

He still voted with the Republicans on these issues.