This morning, the NY Times repeats a Bush lie about Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid:
The Republican National Committee simultaneously posted on its Web site comments from important Democrats who in the past had warned of the threat of Mr. Hussein.
Among them was the Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, who was quoted on the Web site as saying on CNN in 2002 that "Saddam Hussein, in effect, has thumbed his nose at the world community, and I think that the president is approaching this in the right fashion."
Bush used this quote of Reid earlier in the week to smear the senator; the Times, however, does not look at the original quote, from September 18, 2002, which clearly shows that Reid was NOT supporting Bush's near-unilateral use of force:
WOODRUFF: Senator, on the subject of Iraq, the president is wanting a quick vote in Congress. Secretary Rumsfeld today called for a quick vote. Are Democrats apparently all just jumping on this bandwagon? Or there is going to be a real debate, the kind that the American people deserve on this?
REID: As you know when his father went into Iraq, we had a very good debate. Some said one of the best debates in the last 40 years in Congress. We're going to have a debate. But I think we have to acknowledge what's gone on in Iraq. Saddam Hussein, in effect, has thumbed his nose at the world community. And I think that the president's approaching this in the right fashion. He's now trying to get the international community to join. Secretary Powell is basically living in New York, working with international community. And we have made progress.
When Reid says, "...the president's approaching this in the right fashion," he is referring to Bush's outreach to the international community to support inspections - which took place BEFORE Bush's move to war.
As I wrote previously, Bush has now adopted the strategy of Rush Limbaugh and anonymous e-mailers: smear Democrats by twisting their own words. Sadly, the Times, through Bush cheerleader Elisabeth Bumiller, is now helping Bush carry out this plan.
