Richardson (D) Calls For Resolution to Restrain Bush From Attacking Iran

Yesterday conservative talk show host Glenn Beck began a segment on Iran by declaring that "war with Iran is no longer a question of 'if,' I believe it's a question of 'when.'" With Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton (D-NY) having voted for the Senate resolution supporting the State Department's declaration that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard is a terrorist organization, and Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) having included neo-conservative war-monger Norman "Bomb Iran" Podhoretz on his foreign policy team, where do we look for a spokesman against sliding into another disastrous military conflict in the Middle East?

Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) stepped into the breach today by making a strong statement calling for a Congressional resolution clarifying that President Bush can't take military action against Iran without prior approval:

"Congress must put the brakes on the Bush administration's ramp-up toward military action against Iran before it is too late. There are striking similarities between how the administration distorted intelligence and rallied public and Congressional support for the war in Iraq and how it is pushing for military action against Iran. I am disappointed that Senator Clinton voted in favor of the provocative and counterproductive Senate resolution which designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. This resolution only serves to strengthen the hard-line elements in the Iranian leadership and increases the risk of war. Senator Clinton should be standing up to, rather than supporting, the saber rattlers.

"Again and again, President Bush has shown a disdain for diplomacy and our own governmental institutions. The Democratic Congress needs to stand up to this President and prevent him from starting another needless war which will further isolate us in the world and strengthen our enemies.

"I know this region. I spent eighty percent of my time as Ambassador to the United Nations on Iraq and the Middle East. If we want to succeed in the region, we have to get all of our troops out of Iraq. We have to talk to the Iranians and back that up with global diplomacy to build strong support for tough sanctions. That is how we will be successful, not with the President's saber rattling and harsh rhetoric. Congress needs to stop him before he goes too far."