I'm no huge fan of Barack Obama, but I hate to see a good man vilified and lied on like this, especially by the Clintons of all people.
Last week, Bill Clinton, suggested that Obama really didn't oppose the war in Iraq before it began and that Obama's "good judgement" has been overstated. Experience is more important than good judgement according to Slick Willy.
Obama was clearly against the war before the invasion in March 2003.
Once troops were in Iraq (after the March 2003), of course Obama was in a position where he had to vote to fund them... to make sure they had everything they needed to carry out their missions and survive. So in that context he voted to maintain funding, just like most other Democrats in Congress, including Hillary Clinton. Not doing so would have been political suicide and would have been seen as putting troops on the battlefield at risk (something that most Americans do not support). That doesn't mean that he cannot still be opposed to the overarching policy (a policy built on lies, distortions, miscalculations and incompetence) that put the troops in Iraq in the first place. Obama voted for funding with the hope (and with the promises from the Bush Administration) that the troops would be brought home once Iraqi Police and Army personnel were ready to take control of their own Country. Slick Willy was attempting to mix two separate issues, to distort Obama's position on the War.
But let's not be confused about what Obama actually said....
See a longer clip of the interview with host Jeff Berkowitz.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
In 2004, Sen. Obama also said there was little difference between his position and George Bush’s position on Iraq. In a meeting with Chicago Tribune reporters at the Democratic National Convention, Obama said, “On Iraq, on paper, there's not as much difference, I think, between the Bush administration and a Kerry administration as there would have been a year ago. […] There's not much of a difference between my position and George Bush's position at this stage.” [Chicago Tribune, 07/27/04]
Touchet,
That quote was a response to the question of what to do in 2004, after the invasion had already taken place. That was also before the spike in sectarian violence.
At the time, Bush's position (his public position anyway) was to train the Iraqi's...to have the Iraqi's "stand up" so that U.S. troops could leave quickly.
Obama was simply agreeing with that goal. (So that U.S. troops could be brought home).
That's not the same as saying that Obama was not against the war before the invasion took place in March of 2003. He was clearly against it.
The Clintons have tried to distort these facts.
Post a Comment