spookz
10-15-02, 04:18 PM
"In two days of frantic and sometimes contentious negotiations starting Monday morning and culminating late Tuesday night, Gephardt was persuaded to break ranks with many in his party, including the Senate's Democratic leader. He cut a surprise deal with the White House that paves the way for a bipartisan congressional endorsement of Bush's Iraq policy next week.
Since June, Gephardt has supported proposals to strike Iraq and topple Hussein, although he joined fellow Democrats on Sept. 25 in accusing Bush of politicizing national security. This week, when Bush needed a high-profile Democrat to join him in crafting a congressional resolution authorizing military action against Iraq, Gephardt stepped into the role.
His decision sapped momentum from a bipartisan campaign led by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, and Sen. Richard D. Lugar (R-Ind.) to restrict Bush's options in attacking Iraq. It isolated Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) from the congressional leaders who backed the president. It blunted criticism that Bush was going it alone. And it greatly increased the likelihood that Bush will win broad, bipartisan support when the House and Senate vote on the war resolution next week"
*it is no longer bush's war, it is now americas war
Since June, Gephardt has supported proposals to strike Iraq and topple Hussein, although he joined fellow Democrats on Sept. 25 in accusing Bush of politicizing national security. This week, when Bush needed a high-profile Democrat to join him in crafting a congressional resolution authorizing military action against Iraq, Gephardt stepped into the role.
His decision sapped momentum from a bipartisan campaign led by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, and Sen. Richard D. Lugar (R-Ind.) to restrict Bush's options in attacking Iraq. It isolated Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) from the congressional leaders who backed the president. It blunted criticism that Bush was going it alone. And it greatly increased the likelihood that Bush will win broad, bipartisan support when the House and Senate vote on the war resolution next week"
*it is no longer bush's war, it is now americas war