IRAQ WAR IS AGAINST TRADITIONAL CONSERVATIVE POSITION

March 9, 2006
House of Representatives

Mr. Speaker, William F. Buckley has often been described as the godfather of modern-day conservatism. In 2004, he wrote that if he had known in 2002 what he now knew, that he would have opposed the war in Iraq. Last June, he wrote that if we stayed much longer there, it would soon become misapplication of pride rather than steadfastness of purpose. Now, in one of his most recent columns, Mr. Buckley wrote that, ``One can't doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed. ``

Many conservatives said before this war started that it would mean massive foreign aid, huge deficit spending, and would place almost the entire burden of enforcing U.N. resolutions on our taxpayers and our military, when traditionally conservatives have been the biggest critics of the U.N.

The so-called neo-con architects of this unnecessary war have led people down a primrose path in the opposite direction of and very much against every traditional conservative position.