Political Quotes

“the question is: What is our duty? We know what the duty of our soldiers will be when they raise their hand and take an oath to serve our country. They agree to risk their lives for America. They follow orders. They follow the lead of their commanders. They march into battle. Some come home and some do not. But what is the duty of the Congress? What is our responsibility when it comes to war? First, of course, was the authorization for the use of force. President Bush came to us and said, I want to have the authority to invade Iraq for three reasons: No. 1, to get rid of the dictator Saddam Hussein; No. 2, to destroy weapons of mass destruction; and No. 3, to make sure the country lives up to the requirements of the United Nations resolutions. Many of us felt at the time that America was being misled about the real danger in Iraq. Some of us, some 23 Senators, voted against the authorization of force back in October of 2002. But as we take a look at that scene in Iraq today, we realize that all three of those things have been accomplished. Saddam Hussein no longer exists, weapons of mass destruction never existed, and there is no question about complying with the United Nations resolutions. So the obvious question is: By what authority is America still there? By what authority do 150,000 Americans now risk their lives while we stand in the safety of this Chamber? This resolution seeks to define our mission today in realistic terms.…”