How was political debate handled during military conflict in the mid 90s?

Conservatives quoted during the war in Bosnia (which had no American combat fatalities)

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."

-Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

"You can support the troops but not the president"
-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"

-Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99

"President Clinton is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be
away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."

-Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"No goal, no objective, not until we have those things and a compelling case is made, then I say, back out of it, because innocent people are going to die for nothing. That's why I'm against it."

-Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/5/99

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."

-Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of presidential candidate George W. Bush

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning...I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."

-Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"You think Vietnam was bad? Vietnam is nothing next to Kosovo."

-Tony Snow, Fox News 3/24/99

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years"

-Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"I'm on the Senate Intelligence Committee, so you can trust me and believe me when I say we're running out of cruise missles. I can't tell you exactly how many we have left, for security reasons, but we're almost out of cruise missles."

-Senator Inhofe (R-OK )

"This is President Clinton's war, and when he falls flat on his face, that's his problem."

-Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)

"Clinton's bombing campaign has caused all of these problems to explode"

-Representative Tom Delay (R-TX)

"These international war criminals were led by Gen. Wesley Clark ...who clicked his shiny heels for the commander-in-grief, Bill Clinton."

-Michael Savage

And Helen Chenoweth, with a real doosy!!!!!

"It is a remarkable spectacle to see the Clinton Administration and NATO taking over from the Soviet Union the role of sponsoring "wars of national liberation."

-Representative Helen Chenoweth (R-ID)

So, could it be that the people who say that democrats are now encouraging the enemy are hiding from their disengenuous pasts? We report, you decide.

Kevin "Hack" King

90's

Submitted by hutch866 on Sat, 02/24/2007 - 9:33am.

Hack, does it really suprise you that these politicians change sides this way. the rhetoric changes depending on which side is in charge, in fact the words stay the same only the people change. By the time the politicians get to the federal level most of them have sold their souls to get there and they have a lot in common with a certain street walking profession except I think the street walkers might be more honest.

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Hutch, you are right on the washington crowd.

Submitted by AF A-10 on Sat, 02/24/2007 - 10:35am.

The big difference I see is that in the 90s, Americans supporting Operation Deliberate Force and Allied Force did not attack other American's right to disagree. I don't recall anyone saying Gov. Bush was emboldening our enemies. My A-10 squadron, the 74FS, flew in Operation Allied Force. I cannot recall anyone saying that Sean Hannity was demorilizing us, or the comments in opposition were hurting our chance at victory. We kicked some butt over there, and we didn't get distracted by the necessary political debates. The military are attack dogs. We say sic, they sic. When we decide to say "off", they'll come off. It's up to honest debate to find the appropriate time to call "off" the attack, or shift it to the next target (Afghanistan). Have a great weekend Hutch!

Kevin "Hack" King

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Not bad Kevin

Submitted by mudcat on Sat, 02/24/2007 - 7:55am.

If you accept the premise that is probably wrong to be in either place and put that aside for a second and just focus on the rhetoric, it seems to me that the earlier debate was much more civilized than the current one. Except for that Inahoe guy who sounds like he has a screw loose, but even he is not as mean-spirited as what we are hearing now. Maybe it is just the whole world is getting more abrasive and more opinionated.
meow

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I agree w.r.t. reduced civility of these days Mudcat

Submitted by AF A-10 on Sat, 02/24/2007 - 10:43am.

It's sad, really. Bars are going to need Republican and Democrat sections, to ensure the peace. Independents will be able to roam freely. In my Air Force Squadron, things have calmed down a bit in the behind closed doors debates. What use to be about a 7 versus 2 debate (2 Iraq policy doubters) are now very balanced discussions with the consensus usually being "there is no good solution." But we always belly up to the bar together after our world's problems solving debates.

Kevin "Hack" King

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civility

Submitted by hutch866 on Sat, 02/24/2007 - 10:56am.

I tell you Hack, I can't hardly watch tv with my kid these days without haveing a death grip on the remote, even if you choose not to watch a certain program you can be assualted with previews during commercials and why is it if they can't show the show till after 9 or 10 pm they can show half of it in commercials anytime, also these viagra type commercials have got to be the worst. what do you say when a little girl asks: "Daddy whats an erection? The shows are bad enough but the ads are even worse.

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AFA10

Submitted by dollaradayandfound on Sat, 02/24/2007 - 7:37am.

Like some of the military types, other than ones like you, on here, there is never to be any argument that they can accept that will convince them of a mistake.
They will think FOREVER that to stay the course will eventually either win, or everyone will forget. Anyway the battle is where it is at!

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