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Everyone is saying that Kerry made the wrong choice and that those who voted against the IWR were right. In one respect, that's true. In another respect, it is not necessarily so.
If you try looking at this from a different perspective, there is another aspect of the vote that nobody is thinking about. Is a pacifist a good leader? I'd be very, very careful in voting for anyone who did NOT vote for the resolution lest I be voting for a total dove, that is, someone who doesn't believe in war under any circumstances. Don't get me wrong: I don't believe in war in principle, but there are times when it is unavoidable. The last thing we need in this day and age is either a leader who is either trigger happy (like Bush) or one who will never wage war no matter what. The judgment when to wage war and when not to is something I trust John Kerry for having. His vote to give Bush the "paper tiger" of a resolution notwithstanding, Kerry wouldn't have attacked Iraq had he been president.
Another thing to consider. What IF the dangers presented by to Congress prior to the vote had been based on good (not cooked) intelligence? How many of those who voted against the resolution would still have voted the way THEY did? That worries me more than a vote for the IWR.
Consider:
Kerry joined the Navy and served in Vietnam. Kerry returned from Vietnam and protested the war. Kerry voted against the first Gulf War. Kerry voted for the IWR. Kerry is now fighting tooth and nail to get us out of Iraq.
Does anyone see a pattern? Kerry is neither a hawk or a dove. He does believe in fighting to defend our country. Not exactly a pacifist, Kerry is a patriot and volunteered for Vietnam. He learned from his experience that Vietnam was a terrible mistake and he fought to get us out of that war. He voted against intervention in the first Gulf War where the United States was not in any immediate danger. But when evidence was presented in '02 that Iraq was a growing threat to us, he voted to give the administration a "big stick" to use (only as a last resort). And now he's fighting to get us out of a war we should not be in.
I've no problem believing in Senator Kerry's judgment. His error was believing false evidence, but I think that has made him more vigilant and more skeptical. It must have been difficult for Senator Kerry to learn and accept that the Administration of the Presidency of the United States of America deliberately lied to the American people in order to start an unnecessary war. Kerry is someone who has always believed in the positive side of human nature. This had to hurt like Hell. It's all experience though, and I believe this experience has made John Kerry a tougher and smarter leader.
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