Don't reward those who voted for war - The California Democratic primary

For 800 words each Wednesday, we have a conversation; one-sided though it may be. If I can make you consider a different point of view and even laugh once or twice while you’re waiting for a bus or in front of a computer somewhere, that’s good enough for me. The point is I know I ain’t about to win the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary talking about Hollywood celebutantes, so I try not to take it too seriously. Except this week. This is my last chance to talk to you before Democrats vote next Tuesday. I especially want to talk to John Edwards Democrats and Hillary Clinton Democrats. Please understand when you cast your vote for either of these people, you will be giving them a pass on the war; and nobody deserves a pass on the war.

If you’re a John Edwards voter, you asked yourself, “to Hillary, or not to Hillary?” For whatever reason, you decided not to go with her. If you’re anything like me, you absolutely believe that there is nothing a man president can do that a woman president can’t do, Hillary’s just not that woman so you rejected her (congratulations, you’re halfway home). Maybe you heard John’s “Two Americas” speech back in 2004 and it resonated or maybe his “son-of-a-millworker” persona has you believing he understands the problems of the common man. Or maybe you like his tough talk about the Republicans and the president. I agree you and with a lot of what he says - and I like the way he says it. I can see how he made enough money as a trial lawyer to be able to spend four bills on a haircut.

But do you know when the right time was for all this tough talk? Do you know when he should have said all the things he’s saying about the Bush administration so the Democrats could have a shot to win the White House? Four years ago when he was on the ticket. That’s the VP’s job: to be the attack dog so his running mate can appear Presidential. John Edwards didn’t do that. Had he done his job in 2004, we might be out of Iraq right now. And, of course, if he hadn’t voted to authorize a war, we might never have been there in the first place. If you are an anti-war voter, you can’t vote for John Edwards. He was wrong to authorize war, and you can’t give him a pass on his vote.

If you’re a Hillary Clinton voter, we need more than the remaining 360 words of this column. Essentially, the reasoning is identical, only worse. Not only did she vote to authorize war, she voted to authorize war in Iraq without reading what 16 intelligence agencies had to say about the Iraq threat. She’s never said she regrets voting for war, she’s never said it was a mistake to vote for war, and she has never said she shouldn’t have voted for war. Keep in mind, it’s a Senators job to draft, debate, and vote on legislation – and the Senate keeps great records. If you’re a Senator, you are how you vote. Time and time again, Hillary Clinton has voted in support of the President’s Iraq policy.

It’s not because she’s a woman. It’s because she was wrong on the war, is still wrong on the war, and she refuses to admit it in an anti-war primary in an anti-war party. There is no room in the Democratic party for a candidate or a President who cannot come out and say it was a mistake to invade and occupy Iraq. It seems to me that should be an easy litmus test for Democratic candidates. But when you look at her voting record (the only thing that qualifies as her experience - don’t talk to me about sharing the presidential pillow), she has voted with the President on Iraq from the very beginning. What on earth would lead an anti-war voter to believe she would do anything differently? Voting for her would mean she gets away with “triangulating” on the life-and-death issue of our generation. Voting for her would mean giving her a pass on her support of the war.

I’m sure they’re good people, but one simple truth applies to both of them: they were wrong. The decisions they made cost hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives – and counting, tens of thousands of American wounded – and counting, thousands of American lives – and counting, and hundreds of billions of dollars – and counting more every day.

If you’re an anti-war voter and you want an anti-war President, remember which candidates voted for war with Iraq. Next Tuesday, don’t give either of them a pass for their vote.