Obama gave a speech on Iraq today.
This is a big mistake on his part.
He needed to go there first then make your speech Obama. Not the other way around.
Watch him come back from his trip and say something else.

Chris,

You mean like McCain saying Baghdad was safe with body armor blackhawk helicopters and half an army brigade?

Obama's speech was AMAZING!!!!

It's going to be great for Obama is going to Iraq and Afghanistan and will reiterate what MOST AMERICANS believe and we know is to be true!!!!

he wants to be president and he cannot even convene a senate committee once in 2 years? yea, right.

Obama did need to speak on Iraq, I am glad his speech was amazing I can't wait to get home to watch the news tonight. When he goes over I hope he really gets into the dirt on Iraq. McCain and Bush just go into green safety zones and they only speak to those who will say what they want to hear. I just want to say to the Republicans "we the people are not as stupid as you think we are".

He can't do a simple job such as chairing a Subcommittee, HOW CAN HE EVER HOLD THE HIGHEST OFFICE IN THIS COUNTRY? This isn't American Idol, and no matter how much the liberal media shove him down our throats...majority of Americans have serious doubts about this very weak candidate. He can't even fulfill his Senate obligations and has worked less than 200 days on the Senate floor....he's so inept to be even considered. Go back to the Senate, Mr. Obama and learn a thing or two instead of being the black poster boy for first AA nominee. Serve your time and your country FIRST.
Hillary supporter for McCain '08.

Yes Sandy - that speech was amazing! I am amazed that he is that ignorant to make a speech without an assesment first. Not visiting Iraq or meeting with General P. This is just irresponsible and he is doing what his followers like best - make empty speeches. Yes everyone in the UN will all join hands and sing chant of happiness. Where is Hillary when you need someone to make and intelligent statement.

watching!!
I don't care what McCain said.
My concerned is that Obama needed to go Iraq first,then make a comment about it. What's wrong with that?

Amazing how all you kids get so worked up over his speeches...well read from a prompter. Man, if that's all you need, Denzil Washington could do a the job too..he's a good actor, like Obama. Obama doesn't know one tenth what McCain does on Nat'l. Defense and military. Maybe he'll learn something over there, since he's only been once. McCain's sons serve and they probably know more than Obama does about the Middle East.

It won't happen. Obama's using his position to get a free trip to the middle east so he can use it for political reason. Always trying to pull the wool over peoples eyes and succeeding only by those who like the feel of wool.

Obama was right all along, the reason Bush and Mcain and the Republicans ignore Afghanistan is because there is NO OIL THERE, they could care less about our security or if were safe

Obama now calls the Iraq war a 'distraction'. What a genius -- who would have said otherwise. What he didn't (and won't) say is exactly what he feels should be done. Moving the troops elsewhere where he'll say they're more needed is really stupid unless he also explains what strategy and tactics should be done. Of course, that won't happen because he's all talk and no substance fooling only the gullible!

Deb,

We really don't need or want your support. Anyone who was taken in by Hillary's corrupted ranting isn't smart enough to know what McCain is about.

McCain '08

angie

For what it's worth, Afghanistan is an extremely wealthy country for some very critical minerals. You should do some background before you cast stones. You really appear weak in overall understanding of things. Unless, of course, you're obsessed by oil.

Get over yourself Aston, we all know thats why Bush and Mccain want to stay in Iraq OIL OIL OIL.Not to mention Bush had a revenge thing with Saddam for his daddy Senior Bush,I beg you to tell me that the terriost are not in Afghan if you belive not than you are in serious trouble MY FRIEND!!!!!

Republican Sen. Jim DeMint on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee for European Affairs, The American People want a report from you by the end of the July on Iraq. About how our Allies the UK feel about losing their sons and daughters over there! About the over 2,000 UK wounded! We also want you to visit our troops in Iraq by the end of August and file a report to the American people before August 7th about this trip as well!

what did all of McCain's trips abroad teach him? Nothing - yet Obama knew from the start the war in Iraq was wrong; he has said over the past year and a half that our real concern and focus should be Afghanistan and Pakistan and, low and behold, his words ring true. So, yes, he should give a report to Republicans and to McCain - about how to make good judgments, even if you haven't traveled abroad. Obama is smart enough to see the 'big picture' and that's what makes him a better leader for this country (which has been led by small-minded people for the last seven years).

I am concerned our Subcommittee has not held any hearings on these issues over the last two years

-----------------------------
Hey BO ever do your job as chair of the subcommittee????
Are you a puppet only, committed to running for office?
I would not vote for you to deliver the mail, you are not qualified.

For those of you who want to see what an Obama defense policy would do to the Middle East, take a look at what happened in Iran in 1979.

Can you say O'Carter?

Obama seems to be a slow learner. What will he get out of this trip that wasn't already know? This sounds like a PR trip and nothing more.

Senator Obama is now calling the Iraq War "a distraction." Hope he can toss it under the bus like he has previously done to "distraction"--his grandmother, his pastor, his church, Rezko, Ayer, Jackson---------------------------etc.
It will take a humongous bus for the war, the country and all the people to fit.

I am a 70 year old white woman and a Republican with 2 sons 3 grandsons who are in the marine, They returned from Iraq recently. What they said and what McCain believes about Iraq are contrary. This means Obama is right about Iraq from day one! Bush and McCain are liars who started a war based on mass weapons of destruction. Facts are, there were no mass weapons of destruction in Iraq. After shedding millions of innocent blood, Bush and McCain are re-branding themselves to look justified - that's evil! Americans cannot afford to have either of them as President. Now, Bush and McCain are striving hard for an off-shore drilling - that's not a good idea. it is a bad omen. Obama does not need to go to Iraq before giving a speech. The world knows what is there already and the world sits back and laugh at Bush and Mccain for their gross stupidity. Obama did a great job on that speech. McCain was confused about Shiites and Sunnis and now he is confused on the difference between Tactic and strategy. Obama knows better - he is indeed fit to be our commander in chief! I VOTE FOR OBAMA

Why is Obama going to Iraq anyway? Campaigning? We all know it's a mess. Hillary talked about Afghanistan in the primaries here in Oh.Months before Obama or McCain. Though, I'm still more inclined to vote for someone that is willing to listen to advisors and generals, while deliberating decisions. McCain will continue down the same path we are on.He sees what he wants. It's about stability, not winning. No one wins a war.It's not a game. At least with Obama I see an inckling of hope.

The signs are there for war with Iran, no matter what happens, with McCain and Bush. Which will have two results.

1. Draft, if we don't have the troops NOW for Iraq and Afgan, where will the Iran troops come from?

2. Totally destroy the economy.

Of course, if things don't look good, Bush could mess with more of our civil liberties and suspend the election because of war.

And this crazy scenerio comes to you from a Marine with three tours of Iraq.... I'm am hearing some of the exact same things they said before the Iraq war. It may take a "remember the Maine" event but war is coming.

Who cares who the Europeans prefer ... if it was up to France, our next President would be Jerry Lewis. How about focusing on who has the experience, judgement and character to protect us and bring prosperity to Americans ... not someone who in the eleventh hour, finally tries to establish foreign policy credentials, in a one week visit, as a transparent political ploy to get himself elected. Where was Obama, when he was supposed to chair the congressional committee on Afghanistan, and never had a single meeting. Why did Obama vote 'present' over 100 times in the senate? Even if he manages a political rally in the Roman Coliseum, he's still just an inexperienced politician, who is not qualified to be President of the United States of America !!!

"Why did Obama vote 'present' over 100 times in the senate?"

1. A person CAN'T vote "present" in the Senate. It happened in the STATE Legislature, where you can vote, yes, no or present. It is common practice there, if you have a problem with a part of a bill and it is going to pass or fail anyhow they vote "present"

2. At least he voted, McCain hasn't voted in the Senate since April. Over the last ten years he has the worst attendance record, this year he has been present for 18% of the votes, last year it was 44%. His attendance was so bad last year Republicans and advisors suggested he step down to run.

"Who cares who the Europeans prefer"

They are our allies, we always whine that they aren't helping us enough and that we are the leaders of the free world, how can we be "leaders" when no one is following. Bush's poll numbers are lower in some countries then Hitler's, and Hitler invaded them! It would be nice to have people respect America again and not think it has war crime committing imbecile leaders who can't speak without knowing what countries actually exist or where they are located in the world.

"judgement and character"

Like Keating 5, stealing drugs from charities, abandoning your disabled wife and small children to run off with a drug user half your age, using racist names when refering to people, saying social security is a disgrace but you collect 4 government checks... including Social Security, Saying benefits for vets is too generous, wanting to do away with veteran health care as we know it, anger issues, cheating on both wives, with your advisors and lobbyests being almost single handedly responsible for the housing and banking crisis....

"a transparent political ploy to get himself elected"

Like changing your stance on every issue from the last time you ran?

"chair the congressional committee on Afghanistan, and never had a single meeting."

It was a SUB-committee, John McCain was also part of the much more power foreign relations committee, who also has oversight on afganistan, they had meetings, John McCain didn't attend. Not only that BUT Obama's subcommittee has oversight of NATO not specifically Afganistan, and would only have oversight Afganistan because of NATOs involvement, ohhhh and NATO is basically our allies in Europe, the same people you don't care what they think, so why have a hearing?

"he's still just an inexperienced politician"

They said the same thing about Lincoln, JFK and Roosevelt..... you would have been supporting Seward instead of Lincoln, Seward had a LOT more experience.

Voting "Present" in the Illinois Senate is the same as a "NO" vote. It takes Affirmative votes to pass a bill, so anything else is basically a no vote.

oops correction.

The meetings McCain missed on Afghanistan was with the Armed Services committee, he isn't a member of the Foreign relations committee. And Obama did attend hearing on Afghanistan with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

McCain missed hearing on Afghanistan, on may 3, 2007; March 4, 2008; June 8, 2007, Feb 14, 2008, April 10, 2008, Feb 6, 2008, and Feb 2006 just to name a few, McCain has not attended even 1 hearing on Afghanistan. He isn't present in the Senate for hearings or to vote... He has been collecting a check for ten of doing nothing.

for the last 4 or 5 years McCain has missed a lot of sessions in the Senate. He had a big fight with a republican about it right on the floor of the Senate. I think one year he missed something like 97%, actually it was 97. something. That shouldn't even be legal.

100th of 100 Senators in attendance

894 of 899 in his class

doesn't understand economics, but he does have Greenspan's book!

Doesn't know how to use a computer, his wife checks his email because he doesn't know how.

Geesh another 4 years of an idiot President.

Does he forget he is a Senator? How do we know he will remember if he wins, maybe he won't show up in the White House either, or maybe he will be on constant vacation like Bush.

Is it true he missed THAT many days of work? Is that allowed? If it is true, why doesn't anyone talk about it? I don't think that can be true, it isn't possible.