DeLay’s grotesque mistake

June 21, 2005

Tom DeLay seems to have the impression that Nancy Pelosi made a dramatic error in criticizing the war yesterday. Unfortunately, DeLay’s a little confused.

Pelosi argued from the House floor yesterday that “each passing day confirms the Iraq War has been a grotesque mistake.” DeLay pounced.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) today called on House Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi to apologize for her comments late last week calling the liberation of 25 million Iraqis a “grotesque mistake” and saying America’s investment in Operation Iraqi Freedom has been “without success.”

“Mrs. Pelosi, just like Senator Durbin, is trying to score political points at the expense of our troops, and she owes our military and their families an apology for her reckless comments.” DeLay said.

What a good point. Congressional leaders shouldn’t criticize military campaigns while troops are in harms way, right? For a high-profile lawmaker to condemn the troops’ mission in the midst of a conflict is reckless and irresponsible, right? We certainly wouldn’t expect some like Tom DeLay to ever do such a thing. Oh wait…

* “The Kosovo operation is different and oxymoronic. It is a ‘peace war’ waged by ‘peace hawks’ pursuing a dovish social agenda. Peace hawks are global idealists and former anti-war activists, including the youthful Bill Clinton.” DeLay Floor Statement, 4/15/99

* “Doing good on a worldwide scale appeals to peace hawks, who are motivated by altruism, not patriotism.” DeLay Floor Statement, 4/15/99

* “There’s no national interest of the United States in Kosovo. It’s flawed policy and it was flawed to go in. I think this president is one of the least effective presidents of my life time. He’s hollowed out our forces while running round the world with these adventures.” DeLay in The Guardian, 5/17/99

* “American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy.” DeLay Floor Statement on Resolution on Peacekeeping Operations in Kosovo, 3/11/99

* “Bombing a sovereign nation for ill-defined reasons with vague objectives undermines the American stature in the world. The international respect and trust for America has diminished every time we casually let the bombs fly. We must stop giving the appearance that our foreign policy is formulated by the Unabomber.” DeLay Floor Statement on Resolution on Peacekeeping Operations in Kosovo, 3/11/99

* “So what they are doing here is they are voting to continue an unplanned war by an administration that is incompetent of [sic] carrying it out. I hope my colleagues will vote against this resolution.” DeLay Floor Statement on S. Con. Res. 21, 4/15/99

* “For us to call this a victory and to commend the President of the United States as the Commander in Chief showing great leadership in Operation Allied Force is a farce.” DeLay Floor Statement opposing resolution commending America’s successful campaign in Kosovo, 7/1/99

How about this: Pelosi will apologize just as soon as DeLay does.

Update: Darren found some more noteworthy quotes and posted them in the comments section.

Delay. How can he or his family look in a mirror. They think forced sex slaves are ok and 7 day 14 hour work days are also ok for almost NO pay. This is what he thinks would be good right here in the USA? I thought he was against abortion? I guess it depends on how much money he can make on the deal.
Where are the headlines? Tom Delay is for sex slavery. He’s a real moral guy! ( oop’s ……two faced guy ) The religous people must be real proud of him!

  • Good point. I’d like to hear a Democrat stand up and say “Delay is for sex slavery”–the backlash would be rough, but the air time over the issue might just send DeLay down in flames.

    Alternately, proposing a bill called the “Anti-Slavery and Anti-Forced Abortion in American Territories Act” (ASAFAATA—say it out loud) would do two things:

    1. Frame the debate as “anti-sex slavery vs. pro-sex slavery,� and,
    2. Destroy the “baby-raping� segment of DeLay’s base.

    Who knows, the Democrats might actually be able to get somewhere if they stop letting DeLay decide the issues.

  • Great post. These quotes should be pointed out during Delay’s reelection campaign, over and over again.

  • You forgot to include this one:

    “I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our overextended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today”
    – Representative Tom Delay (R-TX), 1999.

    And if you really want to see the all-around hypocrisy of the present majority party, make sure that people read the following as well:

    “Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is.”
    -Governor (and now President) George W. Bush (R-TX), 1999.

    “This has been an unmitigated disaster … Ask the Chinese embassy. Ask all the people in Belgrade that we’ve killed. Ask the refugees that we’ve killed. Ask the people in nursing homes. Ask the people in hospitals.”
    -Representative Joe Scarborough (R-FL), 1999.

    “President Clinton is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation’s armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy.”
    -Senator Rick Santorum, 1999.

  • Love your points Darren. Wouldn’t it be odd ( actually great ) if some brave writer would put those on the front page.

  • Let’s face it. For almost ALL politicians of both parties, what they said in the past has no relationship to what they say now. They will object to a President’s actions in 1998 and support the same thing in 2003, or vice versa, depending on whose party it is. With politicians, hypocrisy (and believing people have no memory) rules).

    As a note, I despie the current administration.

  • Let’s give Delay and the rest of the Republicans a break. The crisis in Kosovo involved the ethnic cleansing of Muslims by the Christian government/military/militias. I’m sure if the roles were reversed Delay would have supported a full scale US military intervention to save the Christians.

    Still can’t figure out why Republicans were so upset by Howard Dean’s comments!

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