Am I surprised Saddam Hussein paid for the 2002 trip for three House Democrats? Not in the slightest.
From the Washington Times:
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday accused a Michigan nonprofit executive of funneling money from Saddam Hussein to pay for a 2002 trip to Iraq by three House Democratic lawmakers, according to the Associated Press.
No! Say it aint so!
The AP says the dates of the 2002 Iraq trip correspond to those of an infamous visit to the country by Reps. David Bonior (Mich.), Jim McDermott (Wash.) and Mike Thompson (Calif.). Their trip, which came in the heated run-up to the war, sparked controversy and drew heated criticism from many war supporters who suggested that they were doing the public relations bidding of Hussein.
Still wondering why the Democrats were against the war in Iraq?
Referring to the true source of the trip's funding, McDermott's spokesman told the Associated Press: "Obviously we didn't know it at the time."
Bullshit! Absolute bullshit. I don't believe that answer for a second. No way, man! I was born at night, but it wasn't last night.
According to the travel database maintained by CQ Moneyline, McDermott took a trip to Baghdad and Basra as well as Amman, Jordan, from Sept.25-Oct. 1, 2002. The trip -- which cost $5,040 -- was funded by a group called LIFE for Relief & Development. The Moneyline database does not contain any filings by Thompson or Bonior for the trip, though their visit was documented in the press at the time.
"LIFE was founded in 1992 by concerned Iraqi-American professionals in response to the humanitarian crisis that developed in Iraq as a result of the 1991 Gulf War conflict," according to the group's Web site.
According to a Post story written at the time of the trip, the congressmen were part of a delegation organized by the Interfaith Network of Concern for the People of Iraq, a project of the Church Council of Greater Seattle, as well as Life for Relief and Development.
Under House rules in place at the time of the trip, nonprofit groups could pay for members' trips, but foreign governments and registered foreign agents could not. Privately funded trips by members of Congress proved to be a source of scandal and controversy in 2005 and 2006, as it emerged that dozens of lawmakers had taken trips funded by questionable entities. The rules for privately funded travel were severely tightened when Democrats took control of the House in 2007.
And what do rules matter when you're a Democrat? Answer: They don't. Why? Because it's different when you're a Democrat.
I can't help but entertain the thought as to what spin the liberal drive-bys will put on this one.