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Did I Say 'No Timetables'? Never Mind...
November 17, 2008 3:19 PM
From ABC's Martha Raddatz:
While we have all been focused on the next president, the current president has done a major turnaround on the Iraq war. Remember those "timetables" for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq that President George Bush said were unacceptable? Not only unacceptable, he said, but dangerous. In fact, even asking about timetables made you feel downright treasonous. I remember back in 2007 when Mr. Bush said emphatically that "An artificial timetable of withdrawal would say to an enemy, just wait them out."
Not only did he accuse his opponents of aiding the enemy, he also accused them of "discouraging" the troops. Even when things on the security front began to improve this summer, the president would hear nothing of timetable talk. At a press conference in July, Bush said he was "strongly" rejecting any "artificial" timetable. Sen. John McCain echoed the president's concerns, accusing his then opponent Barack Obama of waving a white flag. "Senator Obama says that he wants us out of Iraq under a timetable," McCain said. "My friends, setting a date for withdrawal is a date for surrender; I will never surrender in Iraq."
Well, you can forget all of that talk. Instead of "Bring 'em on," President Bush is basically now saying "Bring 'em home." After years of saying "no timetables," the Bush administration today applauded an agreement that Iraq's cabinet has approved calling for a full withdrawal of American forces by the end of 2011, regardless of conditions on the ground. That's right -- all U.S. forces out of Iraq by 2011.
Why the turnaround? The official White House statement says, "The agreements covering security, economic, political as well as diplomatic relations would not be possible if security conditions were not vastly improved. This progress has been made possible by the great work of American forces, the courage of the Iraqi people and the increasing capacity and strength of the Iraqi Security Forces."
But, Mr. President, what about the enemy? Doesn't that signal to the enemy that there is a firm pullout date? Won't they be lying in wait, as you had suggested? And what if "conditions" change? The bottom line: Isn't this going back on everything the White House said it believed? Gordon Johndroe, the National Security spokesman was succinct in his response to that question today, saying, "Security conditions are so improved, you can set a date."
Of course, when that date rolls around, George W. Bush will be long gone.
November 17, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (97)
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There might be just a tiny bit of difference in announcing time tables when multible bombings are occuring daily as to announcing them now when the situation is somewhat safe.
I am glad the current press corps were not around for WW2 or they would have been pressing FDR on troop timetables a few days after Pearl Harbor.
Posted by: david | Nov 17, 2008 3:42:25 PM
No one will have to recognize any time tables....Hawaii Revised Statue 338-178 allows registration of birth in Hawaii for a child that was born OUTSIDE OF HAWAII to parents who, for a year preceding the child’s birth, claimed Hawaii as their place of residence”. Mr. Obama’s sister was born in Indonesia but has a Certification of Birth stating she was born in Hawaii. This is why all the suits across the country as “Elect Obama” has continually refused to show his “original birth certificate” only the same Certification of birth. He has hired attorneys to fight this in the court system. The Health Department in Hawaii says that he has a birth certificate but will NOT STATE any information on the certificate. We’ve elected a man President of the US that was not a “natural born citizen”….we’ve trashed the US Constitution.
Posted by: Anne | Nov 17, 2008 3:44:58 PM
Anne,
Get over it already! How many times are you golks going to re-visit this birth certificate issue? He is the President! He is the President! He is the President! The birth certificate says he was born in Hawaii. Crawl back under your rock.
Posted by: Pauline | Nov 17, 2008 4:01:13 PM
He didn't exactly have much choice. They finally got their act together enough to kick us out. Half of Iraq thinks it isn't soon enough.
Posted by: jock59801 | Nov 17, 2008 4:04:30 PM
Anne
What? It's time to give this nonsense up.
Posted by: unshrub | Nov 17, 2008 4:05:47 PM
Anne - What do you mean that "No one will have to recognize any time tables?"
Even if everything else you said is true (which we know it is not), we would still have a President, one way or another.
Posted by: jock59801 | Nov 17, 2008 4:08:34 PM
If the ABC reporter had bothered to check the facts regarding the situation in Iraq she might understand why discussion of a timed withdrawal is now acceptable.
Oh wait, I forgot, ABC never checks the facts in their attempts to discredit the Bush Administration.
I wonder if they'll bother to report with the Obama Regime begins to suspend the Bill of Rights.
Posted by: South_Texan | Nov 17, 2008 4:11:59 PM
Do these slime-balls (Bush & neocons) really think that we are that stupid not to see through their lies and diversions, to see how their story changes according to the political situation they find themselves in? This scum truly belongs in prison.
Posted by: Mike | Nov 17, 2008 4:12:06 PM
Anne,
1) The Obama birth certificate myth is too easily to busted with a quick Internet search. You can find an image of the certificate in about a minute if you try.
2) Doesn't matter, his mother was from Kansas, that makes him a "natural born citizen" regardless of where he was born
3) You lost, the only way for democracy to work is for people to accept when they lose.
Posted by: GreggW | Nov 17, 2008 4:13:43 PM
Hate to disappoint you there, Greggie boy...The U.S. Constitution I studied says children born on foreign soil are NOT considered "natural born citizens" unless BOTH parents are U.S. citizens.
Regardless of whether or not I believe the 'birth certificate' hoopla, let the chips fall where they may!
Posted by: Lee | Nov 17, 2008 4:32:16 PM
The timetable I care most about is the one where Bush withdraws on on January 20.
Posted by: hey Scoob | Nov 17, 2008 4:36:09 PM
This is a great strategy on the Republican front - now during elections in 2012 they will be able to claim that it was Bush who proposed the withdrawl of troops, not Obama.
Posted by: Greg | Nov 17, 2008 4:42:18 PM
Clearly President Bush hates America, hates and is trying to discourage the U.S. troops, and wants the terrorists to win. Either that or everything this administration has been telling us the last 8 years has been a load of crapola.
Posted by: Sean | Nov 17, 2008 4:43:58 PM
Gee Martha, you are so smart. (Shall I add caddy?) Imagine his saying one thing when things were going badly and then changing his mind now that things are going well. My goodness, you'd think that he were a...well, a Liberal.
Posted by: Jan | Nov 17, 2008 4:45:11 PM
This Bush Adminstration is the most hypocritical we have had and willl go down as the worst Administration in modern US history.
Even Hoover did better. At leaset we named somethinh after him.
George W. Bush will not deserve anything named after him. Or may be "The George W. Bush Iraq War Memorial" with the names of all US service men and women who died needlessly in this war etched on its walls.
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Nov 17, 2008 4:47:03 PM
OK, Lee, we concede. Let Biden be the President, because of your say so.
Posted by: bob | Nov 17, 2008 4:47:19 PM
Anne-South_Texan & Lee: Your hero, George Snidley Whiplash is about to leave the White House after 8 miserable years of dumbness. The next president IS a citizen and if you want to play pretend, head for the playground and play to your hearts' delight. Your guy lost, we finally have a leader who has America's interests at heart, not his own.
Posted by: Walt | Nov 17, 2008 4:47:55 PM
Lee,
Actually, you are also incorrect regarding children born outside of the US if one is a citizen and the other is not. According to:
§ 1401. Nationals and citizens of United States at birth:
(d) a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents ONE of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year prior to the birth of such person, and the other of whom is a national, but not a citizen of the United States;
.
Posted by: Pauline | Nov 17, 2008 4:48:53 PM
This love fest will likely change our world... More government in healthcare, banking and "private" business. "Real Change We Can Live With" is... the "change" left over after your dollars have been redistributed by the chums on the hill that now have no restraint by the executive branch. Folks... hang on to your wallets...
Posted by: John Undewood | Nov 17, 2008 4:49:45 PM
Since when does our timetable for withdrawal have to pass Iraqi parliament first? We went in without permission, we can leave without permission. Iraqi support for our withdrawal, my donkey.
Posted by: Sheila | Nov 17, 2008 4:54:48 PM
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