Political Quotes

“I rise to speak today on the resolution before this body concerning the use of force against Iraq. For the third time in 12 years, the Senate is considering a resolution to address a threat posed by Saddam Hussein to America as well as to the global community. As I said on the floor of the House of Representatives when I was a Member of that body in 1991, on behalf of the authorization of what would become Operation Desert Storm: [T]he magnitude of the vote I now face is greater than any other I have or likely will cast. That is true any time we consider whether to potentially place American men and women in harm's way. That is why I approached this particular vote with the deliberation and the solemnity it demands. During that 1991 debate, I concluded Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait "threatened in infancy a new decade of hope." As I said at the time, I voted as I did: . . . not because the military option is inevitable, but in order not to undermine the President's efforts to achieve a peaceful outcome to this crisis--efforts which require that a credible military threat be maintained against a brutal aggressor who only understands the language of force. A credible threat is necessary against a man who has raised one of the world's largest armies, used chemical weapons against his own people, invaded two neighbors and is developing nuclear and biological capabilities. We are hardly dealing with a man of peace in Saddam Hussein.…”