When I think of how close we came to having ignorant blowhards like Barbara Boxer in leadership positions, it frightens me.

I caught about 10 minutes or so of her speechifying against Condi Rice on C-SPAN last night. You could hardly call it questioning. Here's an example of how Senator Boxer uses her distorted view of events to spew her hatred.

Reality-based my ass.

BOXER: "You sent (American troops) in there because of weapons of mass destruction; later the mission changed when there were none," Boxer said. "I have your quotes on it, I have the president’s quotes on it, and everybody admits it but you."

"It was the total picture, senator, not just weapons of mass destruction, that caused us to decide that post-Sept. 11 it was finally time to deal with Saddam Hussein," Rice disagreed.

"Well you should read what we voted on when we voted to support the war," Boxer interrupted, noting that she was among the minority of senators who voted no. "It was WMD period."

Hey at least she doesn't equivocate like John Kerry and claim that the pre-war vote was for authorization only with no expectation that the Presdient would actually invade Iraq.

However, let's take closer look at what the Senate voted on when they authorized the use of force against Iraq. This is not to say that WMDs were not mentioned in other parts of the resolution, but to claim as the left does that it was all about WMDs only is ridiculous.

Whereas Iraq persists in violating resolution of the United Nations Security Council by continuing to engage in brutal repression of its civilian population thereby threatening international peace and security in the region, by refusing to release, repatriate, or account for non-Iraqi citizens wrongfully detained by Iraq, including an American serviceman, and by failing to return property wrongfully seized by Iraq from Kuwait......

Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its continuing hostility toward, and willingness to attack, the United States, including by attempting in 1993 to assassinate former President Bush and by firing on many thousands of occasions on United States and Coalition Armed Forces engaged in enforcing the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council......

Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq...

Whereas Iraq continues to aid and harbor other international terrorist organizations, including organizations that threaten the lives and safety of United States citizens....

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 (1990) authorizes the use of all necessary means to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 660 (1990) and subsequent relevant resolutions and to compel Iraq to cease certain activities that threaten international peace and security, including the development of weapons of mass destruction and refusal or obstruction of United Nations weapons inspections in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (1991), repression of its civilian population in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 (1991), and threatening its neighbors or United Nations operations in Iraq in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 949 (1994).....

Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-338) expressed the sense of Congress that it should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove from power the current Iraqi regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime....

It can all be found here by searching for “Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.” (Select the years 2001-2002)