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Press Releases
Seals Denounces Bush-Kirk For Misleading American People in Run-up to Iraq War
While Kirk Calls Bush “Decisive,” Former White House Press Secretary Describes Bush Administration as Deceitful
May 29, 2008
DEERFIELD—Today, former Bush Administration Press Secretary Scott McClellan outlined how the Bush administration and its allies systematically misled the American people in the buildup to the war in Iraq. As Congressional Quarterly reported, Rep. Mark Kirk was one of nine House members handpicked by President Bush in 2002 to craft the language to go to war with Iraq. Democratic Congressional candidate Dan Seals called on Kirk to disclose his role in deceiving the American people in the run-up to the Iraq war.
“After years of standing steadfastly with the Bush administration on the war in Iraq—even as we’ve lost thousands of lives, spent hundreds of billions of dollars, and weakened our national security—Mark Kirk continues to fail to offer any accountability to his constituents,” Seals said. “With former Bush Administration Press Secretary Scott McClellan’s recent admission that the Bush administration engaged in deception and propaganda to drum up support for the war, Congressman Kirk needs to disclose his role in deceiving his constituents.”
Since helping to craft the language to go to war with Iraq in 2002, Kirk has been one of President Bush’s closest Congressional allies on the war. This month, Kirk was caught on tape praising Bush as a “decisive” president, even as he criticized presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama’s and Seals’ calls for bringing an end to the war. In the last year alone, Kirk has voted 9 times against establishing a responsible timetable withdrawal, despite growing signs that our troops are in the crosshairs of an Iraq civil war. As numerous media outlets have reported, Kirk has refused to comment on the war [Chicago Tribune, 5/10/07; Chicago Tribune, 9/8/07; Associated Press, 1/14/08] and scrubbed all mention of it from his website [Associated Press, 1/14/08; Pioneer Press, 5/28/08].
“Despite his best efforts to distance himself from the President, Mark Kirk cannot hide his long record of standing by the Bush administration and its failed Iraq war policy,” Seals said. “Time after time, he has failed to demand the accountability and offer the leadership on the war that the 10th district deserves. In Congress, I will help bring the change we need in Iraq by fighting to bring our troops home responsibly, strengthen our military, and refocus on the global threats facing our country."
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