LaHood tells all at ACLU conference

PEORIA -- Cong. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, told an ACLU conference in Peoria on April 5 that he was mislead on Iraq’s so-called weapons of mass destruction, and lied to about torture taking place at the US prison at Guntanamo Bay.

LaHood spoke on a panel during the American Civil Liberties Union’s membership conference, a event I missed because of another commitment.

But on April 15, the ACLU released a podcast of the conference sessions, including LaHood’s remarks. LaHood served for eight years on the House Intelligence Committee before and after the 9-11 attacks.

LaHood, who is not running for relection, began by saying “you can be frank and I will be too.“ He then candidly discussed the Bush administration, the current election and other issues.

“I made the mistake of accepting the information that was provided to us that Saddam Heissan had weapons of mass destruction,“ LaHood said.

“I’m not the only one,“ he said, adding that some who were fooled have been presidential candidates.

“We got bad information and we’re living with the consequences of those decisions today,“ he said.

LaHood said he visited Guantanamo twice soon after 9-11, and watched interrogations. “We asked if people were being tortured to get information. We were told ‘no.’ I believe at that time we were lied to,“ he said.

LaHood also discussed the renewal of the FISA Act which has been stalled by the refusal of the House to approve a Senate version of the bill that includes immunity for previous warrantless wiretapping by telecom companies at the behest of the Bush administration.

He credited House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and majority leader Steny Hoyer for stopping the bill. “Elections made a difference,“ he said, adding that he believes people are ready for a change and a Democrat is likely to win in November.

That is “if the two Democrats don’t kill one another before the election,” or destroy their party so that McCain wins, he said.

At the same time, factions in both parties will be unhappy with the nominees and may stay home, so “I don’t know” what will happen, he said.

Elections run in cycles, LaHood said, In 2000 people were tired of the Clinton administration, but now they’re tired of the Bush administration.

The economy and the war are the two most important issues, especially the cost of the war in dollars and lives, he said.

He speculated that if Sen. Hillary Clinton gets the Democratic nomination a lot of young people who were energized by Sen. Barack Obama’s message may be turned off, but most Clinton supporters likely will support Obama.

“All of us have been struck by the energy generated” by Obama’s campaign, he said.

Bush ‘s legacy will be the Iraq war, good or bad, LaHood said, as well as the two U.S. Supreme Court appointees, Roberts and Alito.

LaHood also had some tips for the audience of activists who want to influence Congress. Don’t write letters, he said, which go through an elaborate screening process that delays them for weeks. Instead send emails, he said, which are read and responded to.

-- Elaine Hopkins