that Thatcher had threatened to use military force the day before. Did Bush want war? "I would love
to see a peaceful resolution to this question, and that's what I want." Some of the more lucid mindshad now figured out that Bush was indeed a pathological liar.
For the rest of the month of November, a modest wave of anti-war sentiment was observed in the
United States, some of it coming from Democrats of the strangler faction who had never wavered in
their devotion to evil. On Sunday, November 11 Sen. Sam Nunn queNunn did not call for a denial of funds to wage war on the model of the Hatfield-McGovernstioned Bush's rush to war. But
amendment which had finally tied Nixon's hands in Vietnam. Nunn was a leader of the strangler
group, urging reliance on the sanctions. James Reston wrote in the New York Times, that "Bush's
comparison of Hussein to Hitler, a madman with superior military forces in the center of industrial
Europe, is ridiculous." "Saying 'My President, right or wrong,' in such circumstances, is a little likesaying, 'my driver, drunk or sober,' and not many passengers like to go that far." [fn 63] The
following day, under a headline reading "Tide against war grows at home, abroad," the Washington
Times carried a warning from New York Senator Moynihan: "If George Bush wants his presidency
to die in the Arabian desert, he's going at it very steadily and as if it were a plan. He will wreck our
military, he will wreck his administration, and he'll spoil the chance to get a collective securitysystem working. It breaks the heart." Sen. Kerrey of Oklahoma declared himself "not convinced this (^)
administration will do everything in its power to avoid war. And if ever there was an avoidable war,
it is this one."
On November 15, Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey warned Bush that "to continue to hold thesupport of Congress, [Bush] must suspend the newly announced buildup of offensive forces against (^)
Iraq until he justifies why he has downgraded the promising strategy of patient pressure. Without
hearing a convincing explanation of that change, and with the cost of Operation Desert Shield now
heading toward $30 billion, Congress should authorize no expenditures for an enlarged offensive
option to invade Kuwait or Iraq." [fn 64] Braalmost lost his seat earlier in the month. On the following day, Gorbachov's special envoy to thedley had to pay attention to public opinion; he had (^)
Middle East, Yevgeny Primakov, called for a delay in the resolution on the use of force against Iraq
to allow Saddam Hussein a "face-saving" way out. One week later, in the context of the Paris
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Gorbachov directed his desperate appeal to the
world for food stheir weakness was evident. The Soviet Union, like China, would soon vote for the resolution thathipments to the USSR. Even if the Kremlin had wished to resist Bush's war drive, (^)
would justify Bush's January attack.
But the hyperthyroid Bush was unwilling to brook criticism. In best bullying style, he came to a
meeting with Congrereporting, among other things, Moynihan's speech of a few days before. Even Republican Richardssional leaders on November 14 with a sheaf of articles from Iraqi newspapers
Lugar was targetted by Bush's ire. Bush whined that such statements were giving Saddam reasons
to doubt US resolve. On November 16, the National Council of Churches condemned Bush's Gulf
policy, citing "reckless rhetoric," "imprudent behavior," and the precipitous military buildup.
James Baker, groping for reasons for the coming war, thought he had found one: "If you want to
sum it up in one word, it's jobs. Because an economic recession, worldwide, caused by the control
of one nation, one dictator, of the West's economic lifeline will result in the loss of jobs on the part
of American citizens." [fn 65] Many citizens were offended by Baker's patronizing condescension,
which was coordinated with Bush's remarks of the same day in which he admitted that the countrywas in a "downturn," and hinted that the depth of any recession would depend on whether or not the (^)
Gulf crisis turned into a prolonged standoff. If recession were to come, said Bush, "it will not be
deep and we will come out of it relatively soon- six months at most." [fn 66] Commenting on what
really concerned him, Bush commented, "holding public opinion forever is very difficult to do."
Bush was not even succeeding in the short term: Pennsylvania Democratic Chairman Larry Yatch