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| Fifth Column |
| Rep. Stark blasts Bush on Iraq war |
| 2003-03-19 |
| Washington -- In one of the most brutal critiques of the administration's policy toward Iraq by a member of Congress, East Bay Rep. Pete Stark said President Bush would be responsible for "an act of terror" by launching a massive bombing campaign to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. "I think unleashing 3,000 smart bombs against the city of Baghdad in the first several days of the war . . . to me, if those were unleashed against the San Francisco Bay Area, I would call that an act of extreme terrorism," said Stark, a Democrat from Fremont. Stark, a peace activist in the 1960s and a 30-year veteran in Congress, is known for his sharp and sometimes careless tongue. He told the Oakland Tribune Monday that if the president initiates the war, "it's blood on Bush's hands." His latest criticism is based on published reports that U.S. forces plan to fire as many as 3,000 laser- and satellite-guided missiles on Iraq in the first days of a military campaign. "You can't send in 3,000 bombs without some of them going awry, in spite of the military's claims about accuracy," Stark said in an interview Tuesday with The Chronicle. "If they get two-thirds accuracy that means that 1,000 bombs will explode (off target) inside a city of 6 million people. To me, that's a terrorist act." Also Tuesday, Republican leaders were sharply critical of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle for saying in a speech Monday that he was "saddened that this president failed so miserably at diplomacy that we're now forced to war." Rallying to Daschle's defense, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, repeated what Republican Sen. Robert Taft of Ohio said two weeks after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor: "Criticism in time of war is essential to the maintenance of any kind of democratic government." "In expressing his views, Tom Daschle is being patriotic," Pelosi said. "The Republican leaders are being partisan." Bad ol' pautisan wepublicans! |
| Posted by:John Phares |
| #7 Another knee walking turkey looking to sell out his country. Pete Stark was surpassed only by Red Ron Dellums in his blind obedience to the Stalinist line. |
| Posted by: TJ Jackson 2003-03-19 21:46:03 |
| #6 Former 60's peace activist, Democrat, 30 year congressman from Oakland. What do you think he's gonna say, buy bonds? Not like his constituents (BRRRRRRRRRRRR) are gonna vote him out. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-03-19 20:38:48 |
| #5 Pete Stark should be tossed over the Golden Gate Bridge...what a fucking idiot! Yet another smelly beatnik San Francisco hippie...what's with that region of the country (the Left Coast)? It's time for a state like Texas to invade CA and toss the crazy lefty riff-raff out into the Pacific... |
| Posted by: Bill 2003-03-19 20:04:09 |
| #4 "...if those were unleashed against the San Francisco Bay Area, I would call that an act of extreme terrorism." [sarcasm] Based on the reports on Bill Quick's blog, some of us might be inclined to consider 3,000 bombs unleashed against San Francisco "a good start." [/sarcasm] |
| Posted by: Old Grouch 2003-03-19 19:43:45 |
| #3 I just want to go on record that even though I've been a lifelong liberal and Democratic voter, the Dems won't get another vote from me for decades, if ever! Today's Democratic party is a sorry, sorry spectacle. |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2003-03-19 17:50:53 |
| #2 Oops -- I screwed up the highlighting on the last line. Apologies. |
| Posted by: John Phares 2003-03-19 17:35:46 |
| #1 Patriotism -- Any criticism from a Democrat or liberal. Partisanship -- Any criticism from a Republican or conservative. |
| Posted by: Dar Steckelberg 2003-03-19 17:33:24 |