19 reasons to beware of people who speak with forked tongues during this political season.

It is Presidential Election and Debate season and truth is as elusive to Americans as weight loss is to my body.

This, of course, presents special challenges for all of us, especially in the media. We must choose between buying the daily spin and double talk from politicians, or, doing a little homework and coming up with some hard-hitting questions which are part of the job and an expectation from our audiences.

I'm going to make it easy for you this week to get to the truth because I find it profound and amazing that the facts that appear so unimportant for too many in the media, are CRITICAL to providing a balanced news approach to the Presidential election.

The weeks and months leading to the first debate showed us a vicious assault on President Bush from EVERY major Democratic leader on the issue of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, and allegations the President lied about weapons of mass destruction, etc. They said that war was UNNECESSARY and that Bush was wrong in describing Hussein as a tyrant and that the blood shed by our military has been a waste.

Just a personal side note: My Air Force Staff Sergeant Special Forces Son, with four tours of Afghanistan and three of Iraq under his belt, is wrapping up his eight years of service. Complete reconstruction surgery of his ankle wasn't part of the master plan, but sometimes even tough guys get hurt when they least expect it, whether it is during war or peace time. I tell you this only because I tend to bristle when politicians minimize, trivialize, or politicize the role, the sacrifice, and the true commitment of young men and women like my Son just for their own PERSONAL political gain.

Which brings me to the fun part.

We have recently heard the likes of senators John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Carl Levin, Jay Rockefeller, Ted Kennedy, as well as Al Gore, Bill Clinton and others, relentlessly attack President Bush for going to war in Iraq. Are they REALLY committed to their CURRENT viewpoint?

Or do they speak with forked tongues? You decide after reading THEIR own quotes on Iraq and Hussein, many of them from less than two years ago, when they were still pretending to be loyal Americans in the wake of the September 11th attack on our country.

Then you decide. And please make sure, as a responsible member of the media, that you use their OWN WORDS in your next interview with one of them to try and get a straight answer. Then, you can decide which view is the truth, and which one is strictly for personal political gain at the expense of our country's future and national security.

Here we go. 19 reasons to wonder:

1. "Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous
dictator, leading an oppressive regime. He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real" - Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003

2. "I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force-- if necessary--to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." - Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

3. "We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them." - Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

4. "We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." - Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002

5. "Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

6. "There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years. We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

7. "In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." - Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

8. "[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs." - Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI), Tom Daschle (D-SD), John Kerry( D - MA), and others Oct. 9,1998

9. "We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

10. "He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do" - Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002

11. "The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..." - Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

12. "One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line." - President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

13. "If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program." - President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

14. "Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face." - Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

15. "He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983." - Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

16. "Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process." - Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

17. "Hussein has . chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies." - Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

18. "There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies." - Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others, December 5, 2001

19. "We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction." - Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002

Ring a bell? What has so drastically changed in the last two years that would cause such an abrupt and bizarre change in what these people say? Could it be their lust for control of the White House?

Ask them!!