Lautenberg supported the Iraq war resolution in October 2002.
Check the facts:
- Lautenberg and his Republican opponent in 2002 BOTH supported Bush’s Iraq policy.
“New Jersey voters will be electing a hawk whichever way they decide inasmuch as both candidates support President Bush's initiatives to remove the Iraqi dictator...” [Source: Bergen Record, 10/30/02]
- Lautenberg specifically said he supported both the House and Senate votes on Iraq.
"In this campaign, Mr. Lautenberg has said he supports the votes in both houses of Congress authorizing President George W. Bush to use force against the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein..." [Source: NY Times, 10/17/02]
- Lautenberg supported a “pre-emptive strike.”
During a news conference Lautenberg said, "I think that if we are satisfied or at least knowledgeable about the fact that he [Hussein] has the capacity now to inflict horrible damage to lots of people ... if we think that he is very close to having weapons of atomic or nuclear character, that we know that he is crazy enough to use these things, then I support the president to take the preemptive strike." [Source: Bergen Record, 10/9/02]
- Lautenberg said “I agree with the president:”
At an editorial board meeting with the Bergen Record on October 17, 2002, Lautenberg said, “I agree with the president on the need to act militarily against Iraq... They have now the weapons of mass destruction, the chemical weapons, biological-type weapons." [Source: Bergen Record, 4/20/08]
- Lautenberg offered his support “even if no allies help.”
“Lautenberg, who voted against the 1991 Persian Gulf War, said he now supports using military force in Iraq - even if no allies help.” [Source: Star Ledger, 10/22/02]
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Lautenberg was “On the President’s Train” to War.
Check the facts:
- On Sean Hannity’s nationally-syndicated radio show, Lautenberg issued his 100 percent support for the war effort.
COLMES: Are you convinced that we can avoid war with Iraq at this point in any way?
LAUTENBERG: I'd like to believe we can, but I've got to tell you this, that -- I'm on the president's train on this one.
COLMES: Why?
LAUTENBERG: Well, because...
HANNITY: Like to welcome you aboard, senator. [Source: Hannity & Colmes, Fox News, 2/9/03]
- Once in office, Lautenberg reiterated that he would have voted for the war resolution.
“Democratic Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, who was not in office last fall, said Wednesday night that he would have voted to authorize the use of force. "We have started to try to make the world a safer place, and we hope for a quick and decisive victory with as few casualties as possible," Lautenberg said in a statement.” [Source: Bergen Record, 3/20/03]
- After looking at the intelligence himself, Lautenberg said “any questions” were “laid to rest.”
After Colin Powell laid out the intelligence case for going into Iraq to rid the country of WMD’s, Lautenberg said any questions were now laid to rest: “Today, Secretary Powell went a long way in calling the bluff of Saddam Hussein and making the case to the American people and the world why this man is a threat to peace. Any questions over Saddam's attempts to hide and conceal his weapons of mass destruction were laid to rest by Secretary Powell's presentation. Now it is time for the family of nations to join with the United States in our efforts to eliminate this threat.”
[Source: Lautenberg press release, 2/5/03, http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=253929 ]
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In March 2003, Lautenberg said “the days of dissent are over” on the Iraq war.
- “The days of dissent I think are essentially over. People have a right to disagree. But if they're disagreeing, they ought to disagree with the behavior of Saddam Hussein.” [Source: Lautenberg on Hannity and Colmes, Fox News, 3/24/03]
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In April 2003, Lautenberg said he “approved the President’s action.”
- “… we trotted out the Army, the Navy, the Marines and everybody to make sure that we shut down the possibility that one day, one day that Saddam Hussein and Iraq might come and threaten our people and our safety. And I approved of the president's action in this case.”
[Source: Lautenberg at press conference, 4/8/03, http://www.votesmart.org/speech_detail.php?sc_id=88336]
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Lautenberg’s approach on Iraq: “keep a low profile.”
- “Lautenberg was not in the Senate in 2002 for the Iraq war authorization vote, but said at the time he supported it. Lautenberg then kept a low profile on the issue…” [Source: Star-Ledger online, 4/4/08]
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