Bush: Willing to violate the U.S. Constitution.

Seriously people, what more evidence do you need about Bush?

Although I missed the Bob Woodward piece on 60 Minutes last night, the 60 Minutes website has the story of Bush's secret plan to go to war in Iraq, with some startling details. Perhaps most surprising is the fact that Bush and many other key government officials consented to be interviewed for this book.

In his book, Woodward reveals:

The war with Iraq could have been avoided.

Bush knew the "Saddam has weapons of mass destruction" premise for war was flimsy. Yet, Bush pushed on for war, despite the grave concerns of Colin Powell.

Dick Cheney was the motivating force behind the Iraq war. Colin Powell described Cheney's desire to declare war on Iraw as "an absolute fever."

Bush sought advice from God rather than his father regarding the Iraq war. Bush did not ask his father, a former President who had launched a war on Iraq, for advice. Bush told Woodward, "He is the wrong father to appeal to for advice. The wrong father to go to, to appeal to in terms of strength. There's a higher Father that I appeal to."

Bush violated the U.S. Constitution. Bush directed Donald Rumsfeld and Tommy Franks to create a war plan to invade Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein's regime. Bush violated the U.S. Constitution when he approved their request for $700 million to execute the plan without Congress' approval. He then took the money from supplemental appropriations for a different war - the Afghanistan war.

Bush struck a deal with the Saudis to lower oil prices during the 2004 election if he went to war. In order to make himself look more favorable and increase his chances of re-election in 2004, Bush made a pre-war agreement with the Saudi ambassador that in return for removing Saddam, the Saudis would increase oil production so that prices were low during the election.

Source: CBS News' 60 Minutes: Woodward Shares War Secrets


Is Bob Woodward a political assassin?

Mike Whitney seems to think so. "Woodward is the ultimate insider; a major player among Washington power brokers. He is as much a part of the established order as anyone in the Administration or anyone leading a major American corporation." (thanks to Taylor for the link)