WASHINGTON, July 19 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland struck out from the Democratic stance Monday, saying the president, vice president and secretary of defense lied about Iraq.
"(We were) flat-out lied to. By the president, by the vice president and by the secretary of defense," the former Georgia Senator told reporters in a conference call for Sen. John Kerry's Democratic presidential campaign.
"(Secretary of State Colin) Powell was set up, the Congress was set up, all on false premises to go to war in Iraq," Cleland said. "Now, why did (President George) Bush go to war in Iraq? Because he concluded that his daddy was a failed president and one of the ways he failed is that he did not take out Saddam Hussein."
Cleland's statements were much stronger than the Democratic Party in general in recent weeks, which has softened language in its platform regarding the war in Iraq. The platform refers to "deeply misguided reports" from the intelligence community regarding Iraq's weapons capabilities.
