Date:          Mon, 23 Sep 2002 15:30:40 -0500
From:          Jim Pivonka <pivonka571@earthlink.net>
To:          Representative Jerry Moran <jerry.moran@mail.house.gov>,  "Senator Carl Levin, Chair, Senate Armed Services Committee" <senator2@levin.senate.gov>, Senator Sam Brownback <Sam_Brownback@Brownback.senate.gov>
CC:          "feedback@itn.co.uk" <feedback@itn.co.uk>, NY Times International <intlweb@nytimes.com>,  Peter Jennings <PeterJennings@abcnews.com>
BCC:  A redacted list

Senator Byrd, WV, has it right, I think.   The War on Terror has just been going too well, and voters were not focused enough
on it to distract them during this election.  So Iraq becomes the new priority, and knocks everything else out.

Never mind that there is no plan for the morning after, no public or political support in the US beyong simple panic and fear
of being called "soft" on Hussein.  Never mind that it further destabilizes the already deteriorating Middle East.  Never mind
that it requires bullying and name calling of our allies in the UN and Europe.

Just keep the people's attention off Enron and Ashcroft, until after the election.  And in the process force our Senators and
Representatives in  Congress to take premature and immature positions on removing Saddam Hussein.

It enrages me both because of its callous political motive, and, even more, because I believe it is important to remove
Hussein from power.

The Shrubbyites are screwing up an important piece of work, and screwing the people of the United States in the process.

Please read the article below for Senator Byrd's comments.
http://www.wvgazette.com/display_story.php3?sid=200209213&format=prn

Quotes:

       "... President Bush’s plans to invade Iraq are a conscious effort to distract public attention from growing problems at home.

     “This administration, all of a sudden, wants to go to war with Iraq,” Byrd said. “The [political] polls are dropping, the domestic situation has problems.... So all of a sudden we have this war talk, war fervor, the bugles of war, drums of war, clouds of war."
     ...
     Byrd said the proposed resolution Bush sent Congress on Thursday would be the “broadest possible grant of war powers to any president in the history of our Republic. The resolution is a direct insult and an affront to the powers given to Congress.”

     Byrd also criticized Bush’s request for power to carry out “pre-emptive attacks” and send troops to Iraq, Iran,  Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, the West Bank and anywhere else in the Middle East.

     “I cannot believe the gall and the arrogance of the White House in requesting such a broad grant of war  powers,” Byrd said. “This is the worst kind of election-year politics.”

Jim Pivonka
PO Box 751
La Crosse, KS  67548