Sen Menendez on Iraq: "Let us remember the lies."

The US Senate is debating Iraq today and Senator Menendez announced that he will support the amendments introduced by both Senator Levin and Senator Kerry. Levin's amendment calls for Bush to "begin the phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq" while Kerry's amendment is stronger, calling for our troops to be redeployed from Iraq by July of next year. Senator Menendez:

It is time for the U.S. to cap the open-ended commitment of U.S. forces in Iraq and to "remove the training wheels" on the Iraqi security forces.  The sooner the Iraqi security forces believe they are fighting for their country, the sooner they help stop the sectarian violence. Until that happens, the fledgling Iraqi government will continue to rely on U.S. forces to keep them from making the difficult decisions and taking tough actions. It is time for the Iraqis to step up to the plate.

And he reminds us why the Bush administration has absolutely no credibility when it comes to Iraq:

Let us remember that this was a war of choice, not a war of necessity.

Let us remember what this Administration has told us about this war.

Remember the unfound weapons of mass destruction;

Remember the missing mobile weapons labs;

Remember the yellow-cake uranium in Africa;

Remember Saddam's non-existent vast stockpiles of chemical weapons;

Remember when Secretary Rumsfeld told us that, "We know where the WMDs are;"

Remember the non-existent link between al Qaeda and Saddam;

Remember the claims that Iraqi oil and other countries, not the US taxpayer, would pay for the cost of reconstruction;

Remember when the Administration told us that the war would cost somewhere between $50 and $60 billion;

Remember when Paul Wolfowitz said that "it seems outlandish" to think that we would need several hundred thousand troops in Iraq;

Remember when President Bush told us on May 1st, 2003 that "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended" while he stood in front of a sign that said "mission accomplished."

Let us remember the lies.

So I would ask -- Are we willing to continue to sacrifice the lives of young Americans so that this same Administration can stay the course? -- A course without direction, for a cause that President Bush has already said that he will abandon to the next president? I hope not.

The full text of Senator Menendez's Senate speech is at Blue Jersey.