Hunn? I am so confused. If it doesnt offer perspective as to what is going on the ground then why is he going? and why did he suggest that he may refine his policy after visiting and talking to the generals? Somebody explain. Or should I wait for Obama to comeback with another statement to clarify this?

Rachel - you have to wait for Obama to come back with his "new" take after only a few hours visit. ONLY OBAMA's perspective counts. Remember just weeks ago he only talked on the telephone with the head man from Iraq because it interfered with his campaign speaking engagement. He knows what is more important.

In the Nevada debate, Obama specifically said that he will get the US out of Iraq by the end of 2009! Just like that, no "refining", no talking to ground commanders! And now he says he is "refining" his Iraq plan, and that he never changed his mind. So, not only is he ridiculousl inexperienced and seems to have learned his foreign policy from playing the board game "battleship", but he has the audacity to lie about his Iraq plan! Why won't the MSM focus on his lies?

Obama is going to Iraq only because of McCain's incessant chiding about visiting there. His visit isn't going to change anything. His views won't change, the perceptions from those who are already set in their opinions won't change, and the war will continue.

More importantly, the Bush administration is planning a drawdown of troops in Iraq in September, probably about 50,000. This demonstrates that Obama was right all along, that the troops should be brought home.

ANN I guess I will have to wait cause its so confusing, and JRE I know they say they are planning on withdrawing troops in septemeber but I have bad feeling they may not be coming home just redirected to Afganastan, hope I am wrong.

mccain is cluless and he did lie mccain is a stubborn old man he wont listen to our military on the ground and why because hes prior military pow he is gonna feel he is much more experienced than gen patreus and his stubbornus will only be a disaster not only with iraq but with all countries!!!

Of course they DO!!

Only a communist would say no!!

Hmmm.

Rachel

You would have to first understand that Obama is a weathervane. He turns with the wind.

He only wants to pander to everybody. He's wishy-washy that way. Not a real leader or any qualities for one.

There is a very very fitting and true illistration out about him. He is in the White House, his so called wife by his side. He has redecorated. Osama bin laden's portrait is over the fireplace. In the fireplace is the American Flag. His wife is sporting a, gasp, AR 15 over her shoulder.

Never cease to be amazed.

THIS article is about Obama!! Yet his kool-aid drinkin sheep are here to trash talk McCain.

You want to stick to the subject at hand???

Obama has said in the past that he had considerable "foreign policy" experience because he lived in Indonesia and abroad. But now he's saying that visits to Iraq don't count?? I don't get it.

"Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., argued in San Diego today that just because Sen. John McCain has made multiple visits to Iraq, that does not mean that he has the correct perspective on the region."

I'm noticing a ridiculous number of straw-man arguments from the McCain supporters here. Obama's point was not that Iraq visits don't count, it's that McCain's visits to Iraq have not helped McCain gain any useful, realistic perspective on Iraq.

John McCain has been wrong on Iraq time and time again. Obama has been consistently correct. Those are the facts.

The point is 10 trips to Iraq
under the protection of the
Army is not going to give you
10 times the perspective of
another senator who has visited
Iraq only once.

There is so much information
about what is going on in Iraq
on the Internet and other sources
that the number of trips made
to that country under Army
protection are not indicative
of your grasp of what excatly is
the reality on the ground there.

Unless the tour gives you access
to classified information it
doesn't amount to a whole lot.

Its not like either he nor McCain would be in the real Iraq anyway, so how would it give either of them perspective?

They're likely to just get their asses kissed and so forth....it's a photo shoot
no matter how you slice it

"A man who believes in everything believes in nothing".

That statement clearly defines Obama. He believes everything, one day it it this, the next day it is that.

As far as having lived in Indonesia, read his book: he did coke while living there, had a lot of Muslim friends and lived with his radical Muslim step father. His father visited him over a month there (his father had a Muslim burial.). That is what Obama now says is foreign experience?

Obama mentioned being on food stamps in his youth. Well, he and his family traveled to Indonesia, then traveled extensively on "vacation" throughout the United States. His parents were both highly educated. Where did the travel money come from and why with highly educated parents were they on food stamps?

He's a liar and not fit to be our leader. He'll say almost anything to get a vote. Don't be mislead by this man; he has a silver tongue; too many people are spell bounded and fooled by him.

the pertinent word is "correct" perspective isn't it Jake???. But you don't want to distinguish that from what Obama said cause you'd miss an opportunity to slam his unjustifiably. The point he's making is that their visits are so controlled due to security, they may not get a realistic view, and also if you go with a set view, the facts aren't gonna change your mind. Common sense is what Obama used to correctly call the result of the war in 2001, and he'D never been to Iraq. Wonder how he knew it'd result in untold cost, lives, and cause more hate towards Americans. That is exactly what happened isnt' it??

Obama has been right about this war in Iraq right from the beginning. His refinement probably involves just what kind of timeline that can be reached that is agreeable with the Iraqis. I heard 3 to 5 years but the Iraqis have also offered for us to leave right away so who knows. I do not see anything that involves lying. Now if you want to talk about flip flopping then all you have to do is look at the McCain record to find the King of the Flip Floppers. His record on vets issues, women issues, mass transit, torture, taxes, immigration, and his involvement with the Keating 5 scandal along with a few other lobbyist incidents where he was found with his fingers in the pie makes him unfit for any office. In fact the man should be in jail. Then there is his morals where he sets such a fine example cheating on his wives and referring to them with such affectionate names like c***. Then there is his or is its Bush's economic policies that have left our country in such bad shape. Since there are no differences between the Bush/McCain economic policies we can look forward to 4 more years of the same. I like Obama's position on many issues so he has got my vote.

Go and live in Iraq like an
average Iraqi. Ask people
what life was like before
Bush and his army showed up.

Meet with some of the two million
Iraqis who have been internally
displaced by the war. And millions
of others who are now refugees in
neighboring countries.

That'll give you some valuable
perspective.

and another thing, i recall after Obama DID travel going to Africa, Russia, Israel and Iraq in 2005, 2006-didn't the media do a study on HOW MUCH MONEY HE COST THE TAXPAYERS TRAVELING. DIDN'T THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT HIM TRAVELLING?? Of course they did, even though he paid his own family's expense to the Africa they still complained. Now they say he hasn't travell ed enough. Can't win with these people.

you know i often get on these blogs and read these post and i question my self how old are these people posting???? sounds like a bunch of inmature people to me

Iraqis want Bush and his troops
out completely - if you have been
following the news.

So what's up with Bush and McCain
on that offer?