BDS is Real!

Most Americans have heard of BDS, or Bush Derangement Syndrome, by now. Often times, it's attributed to anyone who dares criticize anything the President has done or said in the past seven years.

But there is new evidence that BDS works the other way. The evidence? Karl Rove, who took an opportunity recently to rewrite history and blame Iraq on Congress. I first heard about this at Vim and Vinegar's blog, where she included the link to this video.

I recommend watching the video, but basically, what Rove says is that the administration was opposed to the AUMF in 2002 and that Congress pushed it through. Keith Olberman then points out that the website Whitehouse.gov has records showing the President urging Congress to go through with the AUMF and then congratulating Congress for doing it rapidly, and finally signing the AUMF.

This assertion also ignores the truth that President Bush did not need the AUMF to go to war with Iraq in the first place. The fact of the matter is the President had the authority (it appears) under the 1991 AUMF to invade (indeed, the 2002 AUMF makes reference to said Authorization as support for the new authorization), and the 2002 AUMF was there more to show Congressional support and help ensure the invasion was funded.

The sad part, in my opinion, is not that Karl Rove is trying to pass the buck, and playing fast and loose with history, but rather that I know there will be people out there who are so steadfast in their defense of this war and the President's actions that they will blindly cling to this assertion as reality no matter what the truth is.