Political Quotes

“I rise this morning to tell Members how strongly I endorse and applaud the decision of our Commander in Chief and his military advisers to take the action which was taken yesterday and which continues today. Yes, we all ought to recognize the fact that it was a sad day, sad that it had to be taken. But it did have to be taken. I am not one of those who object and point and accuse that there is something peculiar or wrong in the timing of this decision, not in the context of what we expected in terms of the ongoing debate on the subject of the presidency and its tenure. I object to it on the basis that in the first 2 weeks of November when Saddam Hussein had ceased the opportunity for inspections, the Gulf cooperating states, Syria, Egypt and an alignment of people or nations favorable to our having done so agreed that he was at fault and that military action was justified. But we did not undertake that action until 3 days or more after that had happened with more forces deployed in the Middle East then than there are now. Then at the last moment, as we could have predicted Saddam Hussein would have done, he says, ``Okay, I'll cooperate'' and in mid flight the planes were called back. That never should have happened. We should have gone forward when we had the circumstances and the window of opportunity to have done it then. If I thought it should have been done earlier, I certainly am in no position to complain that it is being done now.”