although this has been billed as an anti-war rally, I stand before you as someone who is not scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That's what I'm opposed to. A dumb Let's fight to make sure that the UN inspectors can do their work, and that we vigorously enforce a non-proliferation treaty, and that former enemies opposed to war in all circumstances. The Civil War war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on and current allies like Russia safeguard and was one of the bloodiest in history, and yet it was passion, not on principle but on politics. Now let ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear only through the crucible of the sword, the sacrifice me be clear - I suffer no illusions about Saddam material, and that nations like Pakistan and India of multitudes, that we could begin to perfect this Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man never use the terrible weapons already in their union, and drive the scourge of slavery from our who butchers his own people to secure his own possession, and that the arms merchants in our soil. I don't oppose all wars. power. He has repeatedly defied UN resolutions, own country stop feeding the countless wars that thwarted UN inspection teams, developed rage across the globe. You want a fight, President My grandfather signed up for a war the day after chemical and biological weapons, and coveted Bush? Pearl Harbor was bombed, fought in Patton's army. nuclear capacity. He's a bad guy. The world, and the He saw the dead and dying across the fields of Iraqi people, would be better off without him. Let's fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Europe; he heard the stories of fellow troops who Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop first entered Auschwitz and Treblinka. He fought in But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent oppressing their own people, and suppressing the name of a larger freedom, part of that arsenal and direct threat to the United States, or to his dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, of democracy that triumphed over evil, and he did neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, and mismanaging their economies so that their not fight in vain. I don't oppose all wars. that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former youth grow up without education, without strength, and that in concert with the international prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of After September 11th, after witnessing the carnage community he can be contained until, in the way of terrorist cells. You want a fight, President Bush? and destruction, the dust and the tears, I all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of Let's fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil, supported this administration's pledge to hunt history. I know that even a successful war against through an energy policy that doesn't simply serve down and root out those who would slaughter Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined the interests of Exxon and Mobil. Those are the innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles willingly take up arms myself to prevent such consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance tragedy from happening again. I don't oppose all without a clear rationale and without strong and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and wars. And I know that in this crowd today, there is international support will only fan the flames of the despair. no shortage of patriots, or of patriotism. Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am the recruitment arm of Al Qaeda. I am not opposed immeasurable. We may have occasion in our opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars. lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in So for those of us who seek a more just and secure not -- we will not -- travel down that hellish path this administration to shove their own ideological world for our children, let us send a clear message blindly. Nor should we allow those who would agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs to the President today. You want a fight, President march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who in lives lost and in hardships borne. Bush? Let's finish the fight with Bin Laden and Al would prove the full measure of devotion with Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain. What I am opposed to is the attempt by political and a shutting down of the financial networks that hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the support terrorism, and a homeland security -- Barack Obama, Oct. 2, 2002, Chicago, IL. uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the program that involves more than color-coded median income - to distract us from corporate warnings. You want a fight, President Bush? McCain on Iraq in 2002 M r. President, I rise today to join Sens. Joseph Lieberman, John Warner, and Evan Bayh in introducing a resolution authorizing our course that will most likely send our nation's young men and women to war. pursue is apparent. That's why there is one Commander in Chief, not 535 of them. Restricting the President's flexibility to conduct military action Commander in Chief to do what is necessary to The President has patiently worked with against a threat that has been defined and defend the national security of the United States of Congressional leaders to craft a resolution identified makes the United States less capable of America from the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. authorizing him to take necessary action in Iraq to responding to that threat. defend American national security and enforce all I think it's important to note that we are laying relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. The Supporting the President in his role as Commander down the text of the resolution agreed to this resolution we are introducing today is a product of in Chief does not necessarily mean supporting the morning by the President and Congressional compromise that protects both congressional President's policy on matters of national security. leaders. prerogatives and the authority of the Commander In 1995, President Clinton determined to deploy in Chief to use whatever means he determines American forces to Bosnia to uphold a fragile peace America is at war with terrorists who murdered our necessary to protect American security. in a land where many said peace was not possible. people one year ago. We now contemplate carrying Until that time, I had serious concerns about the the battle to a new front – Iraq – where a tyrant The President's authority is not absolute on these Administration's policy in the Balkans. But once the who has the capabilities and the intentions to do matters. But he is the Commander in Chief. And he President made his decision, I worked with Senator us harm is plotting, biding his time until his has made clear that congressional action to tie his Bob Dole to make sure the President – a President capabilities give him the means to carry out his hands, to limit the way he can respond to threats to from the other party whom we had criticized ambitions, perhaps through cooperation with the security of the American people, will damage harshly for his conduct of national security policy - terrorists – when confronting him will be much our country's ability to respond to the clear and had the support he needed to enforce the peace in harder and impose a terrible cost. present danger posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Bosnia. I think my friend Senator Dole would agree with me that it was one of the high points of our Saddam Hussein is in patent violation of the terms There is a reason why the Constitution vests shared service in the Senate. of the Gulf War cease-fire and 16 United Nations power in the President and the Congress on Security Council resolutions. He has deployed matters of war. But there is also a reason why the Thanks to the President's leadership over the past chemical and biological weapons and is Constitution recognizes the President of the United few months, the Congress has been moving aggressively developing nuclear weapons. He States as Commander in Chief. Limiting the steadily to support the President's determination holds the perverse distinction of having used President's ability to defend the United States, to hold Saddam Hussein accountable to the world. I weapons of mass destruction against both his own when Congress and the President agree on the urge all my colleagues to renew their efforts to people and his enemies – the only dictator on Earth nature of the threat posed to the United States by come together on one resolution – to show the who has done so. As our President has said, Iraq, is unwise. world we are united with the President to enforce Saddam Hussein's Iraq is a grave and gathering the terms of the Gulf War cease-fire and prevent danger, a clear threat to American security and the No resolution tying the President's hands or Saddam Hussein from threatening our and the security of our friends in the region. limiting the President's ability to respond to a world's security ever again. clearly defined threat can anticipate the decisions Congress must debate the question of war with the President will have to make in coming weeks -- John McCain, Oct. 2, 2002, Washington, DC. Iraq. It is appropriate and right for the people of and months, with American forces deployed the United States to have their voices heard in this overseas on his orders, to defend American debate through their representatives in Congress. security. We cannot foresee the course or end of But as the President has said, the nation must this conflict, even though to most of us the threat is speak with one voice once we determine to take a abundantly clear, and the course of action we must