Quote of the Day: War Is Not a Game

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From Barack Obama, on the casual bellicosity toward Iran that’s overtaken the Republican Party:

This is not a game…If some of these folks think we should launch a war, let them say so, and explain to the American people.

On a related note, Paul Waldman has a question: “When Do Reporters Start Calling Mitt Romney a Liar?” It’s a poser, all right. Romney has repeatedly said that Obama doesn’t support sanctions against Iran; that Obama refuses to leave military options open; and that Obama hasn’t clearly said that it’s unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. This isn’t a matter of exaggeration or interpretation. These are exactly the things Obama has done. Romney is just flat-out lying.

On the other hand, Obama has also made it clear that he thinks war is a last resort, not a first. Romney could truthfully say that about him. But as Obama says, if that’s his position, maybe he ought to step up to the plate and let everyone know.

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

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