I remember your facing numerous ethics investigations and the dissatisfaction with your leadership within the Republican party. On November 6, 1998 you resigned as Speaker of the House and from the Congress. You and the foundations you were associated with were under investigation for numerous ethics violations, primarily concerning using tax exempt status for organizations designed to further your political goals and making misleading statements to congress. In December 1998 you paid $300,000 of your own money to settle the last of these charges. Thanks to you, in the 1998 elections the Republican Party lost five seats in the House of Representatives. It was the worst result for a party that did not hold the White House in 64 years.
And now you say you're interested in running for PRESIDENT? It appears that you have met your first debate opponent, YOURSELF!
You were quick to criticize President Barack Obama two weeks ago for not being more forceful in leading an international campaign to destroy Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's air defenses and save rebels from impending defeat. You said the United States should tell Gadhafi "that slaughtering your own citizens is unacceptable and that we're intervening."
On Wednesday, you did an about-face. "I would not have intervened," you said in an interview with NBC News in the morning. "I think there were a lot of other ways to affect Gadhafi. I think there are a lot of other allies in the region that we could have worked with. I would not have used American and European forces." By afternoon, you issued a statement explaining that you initially pushed for the airstrikes only after Obama declared on March 3 that "it's time for Gadhafi to go." "Now that we have U.S. forces engaged, any result less than the removal of Gadhafi from power will be considered a defeat. For that reason, I believe we must support the mission and see it through," you said on your Facebook page.
An aide said you backed away from your support only after Obama made a humanitarian mission the centerpiece of the military action. That alone wasn't enough to justify the no-fly zone in accordance with the U.N. resolution, the aide said, and cited comments from Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen that "the goals of this campaign right now are limited, and it isn't about seeing (Gadhafi) go."
We, I hope you lose the debate and I hope that Americans can just once, in this particular case, remember. Hopefully, they will not provide you an opportunity to do more of the kind of things you did in the past, in the future.
Very truly yours,
RMJ
hear my music at www.rayjozwiak.com
