Bush on Saddam: "That Mother F**cker Tried to Take Out My Dad"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 12:00 AM on July 16, 2007.

This post, written by Amanda Terkel, originally appeared on Think Progress

President Bush attempted to convince the nation that Saddam Hussein had WMD as justification for invading Iraq in 2003. In Oct. 2002, for example, he stated, "If we know Saddam Hussein has dangerous weapons today -- and we do -- does it make any sense for the world to wait to confront him as he grows even stronger and develops even more dangerous weapons?"

But today on the progressive radio program The Cappy McGarr Show, host Cappy McGarr reveals through a conversation with former Sen. Majority Leader Tom Daschle that in private, Bush's real motivation was a personal vendetta:

Of all the reasons used to justify this awful war, the one that stunned me the most...and will shock you...was the one I heard from a close friend of mine former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Senator Daschle was Majority Leader at the time.

The Senate and The House Leadership were meeting with President Bush for a weekly breakfast back then, and as our country was leading up to the Iraq war. ... Bush got to talking about why we needed this war, and here's what he said to Senator Daschle "We need to get Saddam Hussein...that Mother _______ tried to take out my Dad."

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Bush's feelings for Saddam have long been intensely personal. In 2002, he said to CNN, "Oh, yes, I hate Saddam Hussein. I don't hate a lot of people. I don't hate easily." Six days later at a fundraiser in Texas, Bush said, "There's no doubt he [Saddam] can't stand us. After all, this is the guy that tried to kill my dad at one time." Bush was referring to an "alleged plot by Iraqi intelligence to assassinate Bush's father."

It's troubling that Bush believed he could use U.S. troops as personal hitmen to avenge a grudge.

Tagged as: saddam, iraq war, george w. bush, secondary virginity, george h. w. bush

Amanda Terkel is Associate Editor for The Progress Report and ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress.