But presidents matter. That's one of the biggest lessons I learned being in the White House.
Sidney BlumenthalIt's absolutely crucial for the Democrats to have a sense of their history, of who they are, in order to be able to project their values and stand up for them.
Sidney BlumenthalIn every single case, the truth is that the atmosphere created by the Iraq invasion and the staggeringly mismanaged occupation has incited terrorists to act. It's been a contributing factor. It's unavoidable throughout Europe - in Spain, in Germany, in Britain. The truth is that we need long-term American policy to shift in order to really soak up and get rid of these sources of terrorism that threaten our Western allies.
Sidney BlumenthalAs I said, if you don't stand up for yourself, people aren't going to think that you can stand up for them.
Sidney BlumenthalGeorge W. Bush has exhibited hostility to science that no other president has ever displayed.
Sidney BlumenthalWho was it in Afghanistan who screwed up in Tora Bora and let bin Laden escape? It was the Bush Administration. Who leached all the resources, military and civil, from Afghanistan, creating the instability that we see there today in order to prepare for the misbegotten invasion of Iraq? It was the Bush administration. If there's a terrorist problem today, who is responsible now? Bush has not done the job.
Sidney Blumenthal