U.S. SENATE: BUSH DECEIVED AMERICAN PEOPLE; SUNUNU STILL BLINDLY FOLLOWS BUSH

For Immediate Release
June 5, 2008

(Manchester, NH) - Today, a bipartisan report from the Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and other top Bush Administration officials exaggerated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, distorted Iraq's link to al-Qa'ida, and deceived the American people during the build-up to the war in Iraq. Throughout his time in the Senate, John Sununu has consistently supported the war and acted as a puppet for the Bush Administration's war talking points, and he has actively resisted efforts to learn the truth.

"Today's report confirmed what many of us in New Hampshire already knew: the Bush Administration deceived the American people in its rush to war," said Bill Duncan, a New Castle resident and Vietnam veteran. "But John Sununu has spent the last six years standing up for the Bush Administration, voting to prolong the war in Iraq, and repeating their deceptive talking points. Sununu has tried to hide the truth, and he is complicit in Bush's deception."

Sununu's Repeats Bush Deceptions, Attempts to Hide the Truth

• Sununu Said Bush Administration Would Never Have Used Evidence That Wasn't Credible. In 2003, Sununu said, "The administration ... would have no interest in intentionally putting forward or providing anyone, allies, Congress, anyone else, misleading information." [CNBC Capital Report, 6/3/03]
• Sununu Twice Rejected Forming an Independent Commission on Pre-War Intelligence. [Senate Vote #284, 7/16/03; Senate Vote #395, 10/17/03]

Senate Report Shows Bush Deceived the Nation
Today's Senate Report stated:

• Bush Misrepresented Facts About Iraq/al-Qa'ida Link. "Statements by the President and Secretary of State suggesting that Iraq and al-Qa'ida had a partnership, or that Iraq had provided al-Qa'ida with weapons of training, were not substantiated by the intelligence." [Pg. 71]
• Bush and Cheney Misrepresented Threat from Saddam Hussein. "Statements by the President and Vice President indicating that Saddam Hussein was prepared to give weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups for attacks against the United States were contradicted by available intelligence information." [Pg. 82]
• Bush and Cheney Misrepresented Intelligence Concerns About Post-War Iraq. "Statements by the President and Vice President Cheney regarding the postwar situation in Iraq, in terms of the political, security, and economic, did not reflect the concerns and uncertainties expressed in the intelligence products." [Pg. 88]

[Senate Intelligence Committee Report, 6/5/08]

Despite the facts, John Sununu remains loyal to George Bush. He has voted  with George Bush 90% of the time and has voted against withdrawing troops from Iraq 12 times. [Senate Vote #75, 3/15/07; Senate Vote #116, 3/27/07; Senate Vote #126, 3/29/07; Senate Vote #147, 4/26/07, Senate Vote #167, 5/16/06; Senate Vote #252, 7/18/07; Senate Vote #345, 9/20/07; Senate Vote #346, 9/21/07; Senate Vote #362, 10/30/07; Senate Vote #411, 11/16/07; Senate Vote #437, 12/18/07; Senate Vote #181, 6/22/06; Senate Vote #182, 6/22/06; Senate Vote #322, 11/15/05]