Iraq - Media Memory Hole

The media certainly have a selective memory when it comes to Iraq and they want to promote the "Bush lied" bull. This article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch by Sylvester Brown Jr. is a prime example of that and demonstrates the value of blogs. Instapundit instantly rips Brown's article to shreds. Here is what Brown had to say.

"Look, on the long-range, big picture of getting the freedom-and-democracy ball rolling in the Middle East, maybe these guys had it right," Maher said on his show Friday.

Sounds to me like Maher's buying into the bait-and-switch rhetoric of the Bush clan. Maybe I would, too, if they were straight shooters. But, before the Iraq invasion, the rallying cry was against an "axis of evil" and "weapons of mass destruction." I don't recall any prewar speeches about delivering democracy to the Middle East.

Notice Brown is clever enough to say "I don't recall" and not pronounce that there were none. Brown either has a terrible memory or, more likely, he has a selective memory and wants to promote the Democrats "Bush lied" theme.

So, what does the record of pre war speeches show? In this post, Instapundit lays out all the speechs promoting democracy as one of the reasons for the war in Iraq. Here is a summary but be sure to read Instapundit's post for more information.

UPDATE: Reader Paul Escalona sends these remarks by President Bush to the U.N. General Assembly from 2002:

Hmm. Must've missed the 2003 State of the Union address, where Bush said:

And this Feb. 27, 2003 transcript (a month before the war) from PBS's Newshour:

Bringing democracy to Iraq was also stated as one of the reasons for going to war in the congressional resolution authorizing President Bush to use militaryforce against Iraq. (Link)

In fact there were so many speechs promoting democracy as one of the reasons that anti-war types attacked the idea of bringing democracy to Iraq.

There's plenty of antiwar articles that dismissed the administration's arguments about promoting democracy.

From Alternet, Jan. 30, 2003: Link
It's "bogus" reason #3.

From Counterpunch, Mar. 19, 2003: Link
"...he proclaims that his war against the people of Iraq will bring about something called 'democracy' for the struggling peoples of the Middle East."

From Znet, Oct. 8, 2002:Link

"In his speech, Bush claimed that he is motivated by a desire to see democracy in Iraq and by the 'non-negotiable demands of human dignity.'"

Brown and the Dispatch should be ashamed of themselves. Here is Brown's email address. Write him and refresh his memory. sylvesterbrown@post-dispatch.com
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