I do understand what you are saying, Dale but I think the thing is we either have not read the same stuff or just don't see certain things the same way.

On the political candidates all going along on the Saddam is a danger and has WMD thing...yeah, that is true and I addressed it a little bit in another post. They basically took the coward’s way out. I don't like that they did it but I understand why they did it. At a time after the largest act of terrorism in our history and in a political climate where one of the key strategies for Republicans would be to try to paint Democrats as "weak on defense" (or pussies as Pat prefers)...well...if Doug Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, Don Rumsfeld, and Dick Cheney dreamed up a threat assessment that said Mother Teresa was a danger to the United States and amped up the rhetoric and the pressure the same way...hell...they all would have folded the same way and went along with bombing her. I know that's sad to say but in this instance if Pat wants to call them "pussies" he's correct.

In terms of Bill Clinton’s comments in 1998 you have to put those in perspective of what was happening at the time. The Clinton Administration was helping to keep the heat on Saddam. Clinton also was getting pressure throughout his presidency from the PNAC crew about Saddam being a threat. See this UN report from 1999 which shows how things were progressing what was being destroyed etc…it also helps show what happened to these weapons and so addresses the question you keep bringing up “Where did the WMD go?”

http://www.un.org/Depts/unscom/s99-94.htm

On the intelligence community side I certainly don't agree with you and there is now plenty of evidence out there to show the boys at Bushco manipulated or mined the data to paint the picture they wanted to paint. There was plenty of screaming from intelligence people prior to attacking Iraq that the Bushco threat assessment was way off base. England and Russia were not just going along. These guys were out there hunting and gathering to invent a case against Iraq. Did you read the articles about the Inspector Generals report on Doug Feith's office?

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Official's Key Report On Iraq Is Faulted 'Dubious' Intelligence Fueled Push for War

The inspector general's report states that the office "developed, produced, and then disseminated alternative intelligence assessments on the Iraq and al Qaida relationship, which included some conclusions that were inconsistent with the consensus of the Intelligence Community, to senior decision-makers." The inspector general's report further states that Feith's briefing to the White House in 2002 "undercuts the Intelligence Community" and "did draw conclusions that were not fully supported by the available intelligence."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020802387.html

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Again I understand where you are coming from, Dale but come on, are you saying there is not enough out there to cause great concern over what these people did?

I know not much thought is given to the Libby trial because nobody was charged with the crime of outing a CIA operative. Don't you find the circumstances that led to there being a trial more than a little disturbing? That little line about Iraq trying to purchase yellowcake showing up in the most scrutinized and rehearsed speech of the year AFTER the CIA, Tenet, and even Tony Blair's people among others told them it was hogwash. The line was removed and then WHOOPS there it is in the speech again when Bush stands up at the SOTU. Nothing shows up in the SOTU that has not been reviewed hundreds of times...sorry but that was not an accident it was meant to mislead to achieve a goal. They intentionally presented misleading false evidence to the Congress and the American people. I think that should generate a considerable amount of outrage and it is why they went to such lengths to get back at or in more polite terms discredit Joe Wilson.

I know I’m running long again but then we have Mr. Powell’s speech to the UN and if you so desire I will go through that here as well but I’ll warn you in advance it will be a long post because the presentation was loaded with horse pooh and the number of things to…how shall I put this…clarify (I guess that’s the best word) create quite a list.

The point I’m making here is that not even getting into all of the different people who have come forward and all of the stuff now on record…just keeping it very basic with the things I mentioned above…I’m not trying to change your mind here…I’m just saying that based on the evidence and a few simple facts you should at least allow the idea that it’s not “hate” or “liberal group think” or some strange lynch mob mentality that’s driving our questioning of the Bush Administration and the idea that impeachment is probably the best and most needed process at this point.

I’m not a hysterical person…long winded…ok sure…but hysterical and full of hate…no way.