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Thursday, September 02, 2004

Dana Milbank and Glenn Kessler demonstrate that Zell Miller and Richard Cheney are liars.
Naturally they bury the lede and are more moderate in tone than Andrew Sullivan or Matthew Yglesias.

I do think one point could have been made a bit better

"On the Iraq war, similarly, Cheney discussed the ouster of Saddam Hussein along with the war in Afghanistan as a response to the Sept. 11 attacks. "From the beginning, the president made clear that the terrorists would be dealt with -- and that anyone who supports, protects or harbors them would be held to account," the vice president said. The commission investigating the attacks found that there were contacts but no collaboration between Iraq and al Qaeda. "

If someone else claims that the war on Iraq was a rational response to 9-11 I think they should be refuted more directly. I think the last sentence would have been more clear and effective if it had been

"Investigating this question, neither the 9-11 commission nor the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has found any credible evidence that Iraq ever supported, protected or knowingly harbored members of al Qaeda"

Milbank and Kessler's indirect quote of the commission is very close to a direct quote. They are being careful to report what the commission concluded and not to summarize more specific assertions of fact. I add that I am aware of no evidence that Zarqawi was ever in Ba'athist controlled Iraq.

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