Frank Pallone: “I am shocked at how the Bush administration will stoop to try and justify their actions prior to the invasion of Iraq.…”

“I am shocked at how the Bush administration will stoop to try and justify their actions prior to the invasion of Iraq. President Bush decided to use Veterans Day, a day set aside to unite our Nation, to deliver a partisan and divisive political speech aimed at my colleagues in the House and the Senate. Then yesterday, Secretary Rumsfeld came out and tried to blame President Clinton for this administration's manipulation of intelligence. I have no doubt that this administration cherry-picked intelligence. Remember all the talk from the war cabinet about imminent mushroom clouds here in the United States or Vice President Cheney's reckless suggestion that despite all evidence to the contrary that Iraq had ties to al Qaeda? President Bush called all this criticism ``revisionist history.'' The White House and Secretary Rumsfeld can keep quoting President Clinton, Vice President Gore, and Secretary Albright; but they were not the ones who sent thousands of American soldiers to war. Mr. Speaker, the President owes us an apology. He should level with the American people and stop trying to shirk responsibility for his flawed Iraq policy. ____________________”