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Obama’s Iraq Quagmire
July 03, 2008 4:40 PM
FROM GUEST-BLOGGER RICK KLEIN, from ABC's The Note.
There’s been lots of speculation this week about whether Sen. Barack Obama has an Iraq problem. He does now.
His comments Thursday, saying that he will “continue to refine” his plan to withdraw combat troops from Iraq inside of 16 months, seems likely to leave the campaign on the defensive on this issue for days or weeks.
And it increases the likelihood that his trip to Iraq later this month will not turn out like Obama wants it to.
There will be only one relevant question now out of Obama’s trip now: Do you stand by your plan? Obama is unlikely to give a direct, yes-or-no answer -- and that’s where Sen. John McCain and his allies can and will pounce.
Obama has almost always built in some wiggle room into his proposal -- including promises to consult with commanders on the ground -- but surely not always. For point of reference, go to Obama’s own campaign Website:
“Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.”
That’s pretty unequivocal.
Obama’s migration to the political center has been well-documented, and is already a frame McCain is building around his candidacy. But Iraq -- this is qualitatively different, an issue that lives on a higher plane, since opposing the war was the rationale for his candidacy in the first place.
-- Rick Klein
July 3, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (150)
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OK...so Obama is now 'refining' his position on Iraq, like he 'refined' his position about accepting public campaign funds, 'refined' his membership to his church, etc..etc...etc (& I voted for the guy). Change??? Where???
What a disappointment...
Posted by: Ed | Jul 8, 2008 8:33:43 AM
Obama doesnt seem to understand that we didn't care about him as a person, we cared about his ideas. Now that they have completely changed, I just feel regret, because I now don't care about Obama at all, and realize I should have voted for Hillary.
I made a mistake, so I apologize Hillary supporters. I let my idealism run away with me, again.
Posted by: Leroy | Jul 7, 2008 12:38:47 PM
Now that the libs can not deny the Progress in Iraq, are they going to credit Pres. Bush with achieving it?
Posted by: spock | Jul 7, 2008 12:24:45 PM
"And it increases the likelihood that his trip to Iraq later this month will not turn out like Obama wants it to."
Barack Obama just wanted to inform a future meeting with General Petraeus when he said "to talk to some of the commanders on the ground".
This win-win move is designed to stop the criticism by the McCain camp and conservatives claiming the so call "willingness to meet Iran President" while he (Obama) has not met the US commander in Iraq the last 2 years.
Posted by: Angel | Jul 6, 2008 9:00:11 PM
"I wasn't saying anything I hadn't said before, that I didn't say a year ago or when I was a United States senator," said Obama, who is still a senator from Illinois.
God help us, the megalomaniacal mobster thinks he IS president. ANYbody else: vote for ANYbody else.
Posted by: Belle Starr | Jul 6, 2008 1:17:44 PM
You people keep talking about dead american soldiers in Iraq. While one to too many, I wish to remind you of all the democratic presidents that started wars.
WWI - Wilson
WWII - Roosevelt
Korea - Truman over 50,000 dead
Vietnam - Johnson over 57,000 dead
What was accomplished in Vietnam and Korea? American troops are still in the Phillipines and Cuba since the Spanish-American War, in Europe since WWII etc. Saw Ted Koppel on one of the Sunday programs. He said that there will be over 80,000 troops in Iraq from at least 6 more years and Obama has known that from the beginning.
Posted by: Russ | Jul 6, 2008 12:37:34 PM
The DNC has decided to give its nomination to a Flim-Flam man from Chicago. LOL.
Posted by: BJinChicago | Jul 6, 2008 1:59:32 AM
So which one of Bush's "failed policies" is gun-loving-faith-based-wire-tapping-free-trade-no-withdrawl-without-victory-Obama going to change? Oh, that's right: no new oil, and much higher taxes. Change we can believe in, I'd say.
Posted by: obama W bush | Jul 5, 2008 8:49:29 PM
I've adopted a plan put forward by some poster here: whenever the name "Obama" comes out of the television, I turn it off.
Why vote for a corporate mobster with no backbone -- because he's cute-looking and part "black"? This really is racism at its foulest and most dangerous.
SOME folks counsel a voters' strike to deal with the "phenomenon" thrust upon us by the media and the corporate collaborators in the Democratic "leadership". Some counsel a vote for Nader or McKinney.
I'm leaning, myself, to never voting again -- but I darn sure won't vote for this over-hyped bucket-of-warm-spit.
Posted by: Belle Starr | Jul 5, 2008 1:03:35 PM
Let's see...
Redefining a plan...
If John McCain was to "redefine a plan," the Democrat hacks would call it a flip flop...
Which it would be...
Barack "Flip Flop" Obama...
Has a nice ring to it...
Posted by: Jayhawk | Jul 4, 2008 7:03:22 PM
The only difference is that Imelda had one right shoe for every left shoe….
Posted by: landlines | Jul 4, 2008 1:10:57 AM
----------------------------------
Well Bo has his days too, some days he is way left(wears both left shoes). Some days he is waY right (wears both right shoes) JUST KEEP AND EYE ON HIS SHUFFELIN FEET!
MOST days he is in flip flops!!!
Posted by: HP Boston | Jul 4, 2008 12:44:11 PM
love how biased abc is right now
lol no correction no update...
i wonder why?
mccain would have gotten an immediate update... the media wants this race to be close and exciting like the primary was, but the simple fact that mccain sucks makes it hard to really keep this thing close...
so why not just continue to rumor mill going on obama
Posted by: bhrandon | Jul 4, 2008 12:19:49 PM
Hey Rick...
Why no update? Why no correction? You got this way wrong. But don't feel bad, so did most mainstream news outlets. But to absolutely fail to correct your reporting is malpractice.
Posted by: Stephen | Jul 4, 2008 12:05:10 PM
A lot of us wished Bush would have "redefined his plan," rather than decisively plunging the nation into the disaster of the Iraq war. Maybe we need to redefine some attributes of the commander in chief to include caution in foreign affairs, particularly when it comes to jumping into a war. The Iraq war conditions aren't predictable and withdrawal judgements need to take that into consideration.
Posted by: kat | Jul 4, 2008 11:47:23 AM
Obama flip flops and lie about it.He say he is a christian and he want all christians to vote for him, but in his book he wrote that if the political wind gets ugly, he will side with the muslims.He thinks we are all fools?
Posted by: Kanawha | Jul 4, 2008 11:29:26 AM
OBAMA will GIVE US DEFEAT from the jaws of VICTORY as he pulls out of Iraq just before Victory.
Posted by: DemocratNoMore2 | Jul 4, 2008 10:49:32 AM
This latest chapter in "The Obama Flip-Flops" is one that will haunt his campaign drastically until November. Obama has flat-out lied to America about his stance on Iraq by promising them, not refining, that he would begin bringing the troops home immdediately. Now, he said this without visiting Iraq, consulting General Patreus, or any other official's expertise on the war. This just goes to show that Obama has and is pandering for votes all along, he says what he thinks America wants to hear, and then when they are hooked, he reels them in to be netted in his lies and uncertainty. McCain, on the other hand, is now stating and has always stated that there is no way the troops would be brought home immediately. Obama supporters, say what you want, but McCain took a stand on Iraq and continues to support his stand. Obama, on the other hand, the ultimate flip-flopper has not idea what Iraq is about. This latest chapter in Obama's campaign will hurt him more than you think. Spin it anyway you want, but he's not fooling America anymore with his pandering and lies!
Posted by: Will | Jul 4, 2008 9:55:51 AM
I have a hard time discerning whether I'm listening to George Bush or Barack Obama on Iraq. It seems that Obama is sounding more like Bush every day. Obama is trying to twinst the meaning of the term "refining" his way yet again. What "refining" actually means to Obama, is another "flip-flop". In the primaries, in interview after interview, Obama stated he would have the troops home in 2009. McCain, Patreus, and many others told him this would not be possible, but Obama, in his arrogant self, would not listen. Now Obama is having to "crawfish" and agree with them, only he is trying to spin it his way. People say if McCain is elected, its 4 more years of Bush, but, the way its shaping up, it looks like if Obama is elected, the Bush years will continue. Will someone remind me, is Obama a democrat or a republican? He changes his mind daily, so I'm not sure anymore.
Posted by: David | Jul 4, 2008 9:45:46 AM
I miss Hillary. Now we've got two REALLY bad candidates to choose from. Thanks Moveon.org! I hope you guys feel used! Obama.. no experience, flip flopper, to liberal.. and McCain.. old as dirt, a GOPer that will continue the Bush era of disaster, knows nothing about economics.
Geez, which of these fools do you vote for? Can I have a door #3? Maybe I'll just write Hillary in.
Posted by: Missing Hillary | Jul 4, 2008 9:32:16 AM
AT LEAST RENE MARIE DIDN'T SING THE BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM AT CLEVELAND BROWNS STADIUM!!
Posted by: Temagami | Jul 4, 2008 9:19:41 AM
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