WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Capitol Hill Democrats say the Bush administration did a bait-and-switch in promising Iraqi reconstruction would largely pay for itself.
Democratic leaders say that statement, coupled with a warning that Saddam Hussein posed an imminent threat, combined to assure quick and nearly unanimous support for the war with Iraq.
But now the Democrats say neither statement was apparently true.
Republicans, however, maintain the statements were made before the administration knew how bad the Iraqi infrastructure was and before massive looting started, stripping many buildings of furniture, appliances, and even electrical wires and plumbing.
David Helfert, communications director for the Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee said he believes Republicans had a "rosy picture of what we were getting into."
Helfert told UPI: "Now we see the same people, where they were (once) talking about the resources to pay for (Iraq's) own reconstruction, they are now saying 'We can't use that money to repay these costs. It's needed for other things. We can't heap that debt on Iraq, we can't add more to it.'
"Well, guess whose debt that gets added to? The American public's."
