The War Lies of Jim Inhofe

Oklahomans Deserve The Truth

(We need to get busy if we’re going to defeat U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe in the 2008 election. Take a few seconds to sign the petition and urge state Senator Andrew Rice to run against him.)

"Our intelligence system has said that we know that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction -- I believe including nuclear. There's not one person on this panel who would tell you unequivocally that he doesn't have the missile means now, or is nearly getting the missile means to deliver a weapon of mass destruction. And I for one am not willing to wait for that to happen."--Jim Inhofe on Meet The Press, 2002)

U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe's recent bizarre comments on the Iraq occupation completely contradict what he said during the time period leading up to the invasion.

In a recent Tulsa World article (“Vice President Visits Tulsa: Cheney, Inhofe blasts Democrats’ plan for Iraq,” April 27, 2007), Inhofe claims the reasons for the gruesome Iraq occupation initially had nothing to do with finding weapons of mass destruction. Inhofe actually blames the press for the so-called “mischaracterization.”

(Check out this great blog: Senate 2008 Guru: Following the Races.)

This is not simply political spin. This is a calculated lie by an angry warmonger.

Here’s what Inhofe said, according to the article: "The whole idea of weapons of mass destruction was never the issue, yet they [reporters] keep trying to bring this up.” That's right. His argument is that weapons of mass destruction were never "the issue" for the country's invasion of Iraq.

But this is what Inhofe himself said on Meet The Press in 2002: "Our intelligence system has said that we know that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction -- I believe including nuclear. There's not one person on this panel who would tell you unequivocally that he doesn't have the missile means now, or is nearly getting the missile means to deliver a weapon of mass destruction. And I for one am not willing to wait for that to happen."

Here’s what President George Bush said on March 3, 2003: ““Our mission is clear in Iraq. Should we have to go in, our mission is very clear: disarmament.”

Here’s what the president said on March 22, 2003: ““Our cause is just, the security of the nations we serve and the peace of the world. And our mission is clear, to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people.”

Here’s what the president said on April 14, 2003: “Our cause is just, the security of the nations we serve and the peace of the world. And our mission is clear, to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people.”

(The above Bush quotes were taken from the Think Progress blog.)

We can’t forget as well then Secretary of State Colin Powell’s presentation to the United Nations before the war in which he claimed the evidence was clear Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The whole idea behind Powell’s speech was to convince a skeptical world that Hussein had such weapons and could possibly use them. Powell said he now regrets making the speech.

Here’s what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said about the Iraq invasion in 2003: "Let us be very clear about why we went to war against Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein's regime posed a threat to the security of the United States and the world. This was a regime that had pursued, had used, and possessed weapons of mass destruction."

Inhofe must think Oklahomans are too stupid to get online and find the facts or read a credible newspaper about the issue. The state’s press has done an absolutely miserable job challenging Inhofe’s bizarre statements. What the corporate press does here can hardly qualify as “journalism” anymore. The press here is one big public relations firm supporting war, corporate greed, and political corruption. Why is Inhofe getting a free ride? His recent bizarre statements should be a major issue in the press here.

Is there not a reporter at one of the big, corporate newspapers in the state who has the guts to challenge Inhofe’s bizarre statements? Will the editors not print the truth? This reporter would be backed by thousands of Oklahomans and millions upon millions of Americans and world citizens who are sick of Jim Inhofe and his lies about the war and global warming. What are you waiting for?

The issue also shows how the Imperial Presidency and its supporters like Inhofe cannot be trusted to tell the truth about Iraq. The right-wing war machine disavows historical accuracy, and it manipulates the masses with cultural wedge issues.

When you can’t trust your United States Senator to tell a simple truth about an issue as important as a military invasion and subsequent occupation and when your local media will not hold important politicians accountable for obvious lies, then our democracy is threatened. People throughout the country are realizing this and are now working outside the corporate media system to bring about real change.

Meanwhile, Democrats need to put together a campaign starting now to defeat Inhofe in 2008.

I’m asking state Senator Andrew Rice to take on this task, and media reports say he’s considering it. What other Democrats are going to step forward and challenge Inhofe’s lies? Let’s get busy.

Henry Vetoes Corporate Measure

Gov. Brad Henry has made the prudent and appropriate decision to veto a corporate immunity bill that would have taken rights away from individuals to sue for damages.

Henry vetoed Senate Bill 507 on Saturday after trying to reach a compromise with legislators on the bill. The bill just barely passed out of the senate so it’s unlikely its corporate toadies in the Republican Party will try to override the veto. You can read about the issue here.

"Governor Henry showed tremendous courage today," according to Emilee Truelove, executive director of the Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association. "SB 507 was like David fighting Goliath. It pitted insurance companies, millionaire CEO's and out-of-state lobbyists against our grandmothers, children, firefighters, our state's chief law enforcement officer and innocent victims of drunk driving. Fortunately, Governor Henry rose above the politics and chose to protect the rights of all Oklahoman's, not just a privileged few. This is further proof that Governor Henry's principles are not for sale."

In a statement, Henry said he was still interested in putting together some type of bill dealing with lawsuits that would protect individual rights and improve the system.