About Rod D. Martin
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Faith & Cultureby Rod D. Martin
August 16, 2004
Did George W. Bush lie about WMDs? Not according to senior Democrats; and though many of them have about-faced post-Michael Moore, their collective testimony bears close examination.
Here’s President Bill Clinton, February 17, 1998: “If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.”
On February 18, 1998, Secretary of State Madeline Albright added this: “[W]hat happens [in Iraq] matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.”
That same day, Sandy Berger intoned: “[Saddam] will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.”
By the fall of 1998, Congress could be heard weighing in on the matter.
In a letter to Clinton dated October 9, Democratic senators, including Tom Daschle, Carl Levin, and John Kerry, urged him, after consulting with Congress, to take all actions necessary in response to “the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.”
Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi said, on December 16, “Saddam…has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspections process.”
Three years later, after 9/11, Democrats were singing the same song.
In a letter to President Bush, dated December 5, 2001, Senator Bob Graham, joining other senators, wrote the following: “Saddam has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical, and nuclear programs continue…and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies.”
A year later, on September 23, 2002, none other than Al Gore — who now calls Bush a “liar” — somberly warned, based on his knowledge from the Clinton years, that an undeterred Saddam had WMDs and wanted more: “We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country…Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.”
In that same speech, delivered to the San Francisco Commonwealth Club, Gore reminded his hearers that “we [have had] a goal of regime change in Iraq….for a number of years.”
On October 10, Hillary Clinton echoed her fellow Democrats about Saddam’s chemical and biological stocks, his missile delivery capability, and his relentless pursuit of nukes. Interestingly enough she also added, “[Saddam] has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda….”
And then there’s John Kerry, the accuser-in-chief.
On October 9, 2002, Kerry said, “I will be voting to give the President…the authority to use force — if necessary — to disarm Saddam…because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.”
Three months later, on January 23, 2003, as war approached, Kerry said, “Without question, we need to disarm Saddam…He is a brutal, murderous dictator…He presents a….grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation…And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction….So the threat of Saddam…with weapons of mass destruction is real…”
On January 31, in the Los Angeles Times, Ronald Brownstein quoted Kerry as saying, “If you don’t believe Saddam Hussein is a threat with nuclear weapons, then you shouldn’t vote for me.”
Yet today, Kerry — along with virtually all Democrats everywhere — pretends just the opposite: it was, supposedly, all a big lie, personally concocted by George W. Bush.
They’re not concerned with the evidence. They don’t ask where al Qaeda terrorists got the twenty tons of nerve gas confiscated from them in Amman, Jordan this April, just before they unleashed another Nagasaki. They don’t want to pursue Israeli reports of large WMD stocks smuggled into Syria, or even UN reports of whole Iraqi anti-aircraft missiles turning up in Holland. Even the Iraq Survey Group’s report — providing irrefutable proof of Saddam’s capability to produce large quantities of chemical weapons at a moment’s notice — is swept under the rug.
Yet, as Bill Clinton put it to Larry King in July 2003 (after the war) “it is incontestable that on the day I left office, there [was]…a substantial amount of biological and chemical material unaccounted for [in Iraq].” The threat was real. The threat is still real. President Bush has eliminated Saddam Hussein, his murderous regime, and his ability to produce new weapons at the drop of a hat. But hundreds of tons of WMD materials remain unaccounted for. We can either find them now in the Middle East or we can find them someday in New York.
What we cannot, must not do is play politics with the issue. Even Bill Clinton will not. So why does John Kerry, and why does the entire Michael Moore wing of his party? This is the sort of irresponsibility that could cost millions of lives. It is certainly not worthy of elevation to the Presidency.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
The future of technology is the future of America. Rod Martin sees that future clearly, and also sees how to shape it for the betterment of all. He is firmly rooted in the traditions of faith and patriotism that have made America great. That’s why he has made, and will make, so many outstanding contributions in so many areas.