Who got us stuck in Iraq?

[°Leprechaun]

Well, 2006 was supposed to be a referendum on the failed war in Iraq.

Whether the Democrats will do anything to get us unstuck remains to be seen.

But we should remember who got us there in the first place.

The answer to this poll should be obvious.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Almost all Republicans and a minority of Democrats. So I vote for option 1.

[°Leprechaun]

Almost all Republicans and a minority of Democrats. So I vote for option 1.

Actually yes, a minority of Democrats in the House of Representatvives, to their credit voted against the war, and we should never forget that, but a majority of the Senate Democrats voted for the war and among them, Edwards, Kerry and Lieberman.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I think the failure in Iraq is due in large part to the following, in order of relevance:

1) Bush and Co. underestimating how foreign the concepts of Western civility, democracy and personal freedom are to Islam.  It was very naïve to think a predominately Muslim country would automatically embrace Western ideals.

2) This Administration’s almost total lack of a plan to secure Iraq after major military operations had halted.

3) This Administration’s unwillingness to quickly suppress and defeat the insurgency in the fall of 2003.

4) This Administration’s unwillingness to hold Iran and Syria militarily accountable for its undermining the formation of a unity government in Iraq.

5) the insurgency’s understanding and exploitation of the weaknesses of Western civility.

6) the insurgency’s understanding and exploitation of the fact that America has learned to run from fights are soon as its nose is bloodied.

...basically:  too much idealism, not enough planning, not enough resolve to do what is neccessary

[Rob]

Option 2.

I don't know what's worse- Democrats who voted for the war because they're genuinely bloodthirsty (Lieberman, Clinton), or Democrats who voted for the war because of cowardice and rank ambition (Kerry, Edwards).

[MODU]

Dumb poll, but if you want to be honest about it, Saddam got us stuck there.  

- If he hadn't invaded Kuwait, there would not have been a Persian Gulf War.  
- If he hadn't violated the cease fire, we would not have had 10 years of enforcing the no-fly zone and bombing missle batteries and radar stations that would errected in those areas.  
- If he hadn't attempted the assasination of George HW Bush, we would not have had to send cruise missles deeper into Iraq.  
- If he hadn't openly supported terrorism by compensating Palestinian suicide bombers, he wouldn't have been a target of the war on terror.

[MaC]

Well, 2006 was supposed to be a referendum on the failed war in Iraq.
The answer to this poll should be obvious.

Well obviously it was a coalition of Everett, Alcon and Gabu.

[Wakie]

Too numerous to list.

[JSojourner]

Democrats and Republicans.

But ultimately, I place the blame with Bush and Cheney...who viewed Iraq as a cash-cow payoff to their most generous benefactors and campaign donors.