Political Quotes

“since last month's bombing of the holiest Shiite shrine, the sectarian violence we all feared has begun to engulf Iraq. But while Iraq is on the brink of civil war, all the administration gives us are mixed messages and finger-pointing. The U.S. Ambassador to Iraq says the country is nearing civil war and that we have opened a Pandora's box by toppling Saddam Hussein. Yet General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has a totally different view. Over the weekend he said, ``I wouldn't put a great big smiley face on it, but I would say that things are going very, very well from everything you look at.'' Meanwhile, Secretary Rumsfeld puts the blame squarely on the press: ``From what I've seen thus far, much of the reporting in the U.S. and abroad has exaggerated the situation.'' Which is it? A Pandora's box? The brink of war? Or an exaggerated news story only to sell papers and boost ratings? Yet instead of demanding answers from the administration, this Congress has turned a blind eye. It is time for this hear-no-evil, see-no-evil Congress to open its eyes and ears. Americans want more than mixed metaphors and finger pointing. They want a policy. They deserve real answers, and it is our job to find them. We need new priorities for America rather than the same old policies that have gotten us here. ____________________”