Obama says will visit Iraq and Afghanistan

[Wretched Excess]

This should be interesting.  I wonder how he is going to handle "we are winning" from the guys that are actually
doing the winning.  But now he is only going to "begin the process of withdrawing U.S. troops . . . "; petraeus is
even talking about considering a drawdown of unspecified size at some point in the foreseeable future.  during
the primaries, BHO was going to pull every last soldier out of iraq by lunchtime on inauguration day.

Obama says will visit Iraq and Afghanistan

DETROIT, June 16 (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Monday he plans to visit Iraq and Afghanistan before November's election and was encouraged by a recent reduction in violence in Iraq.

Obama, who later picked up the endorsement of former Vice President Al Gore at a Detroit rally on Monday night, spoke by telephone with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari and reiterated his support for a pullout of U.S. troops.

"I told him that I looked forward to seeing him in Baghdad," Obama said in Flint, Michigan, an important state in the November election against Republican John McCain.

"I emphasized to him how encouraged I was by the reductions in violence in Iraq but also insisted that it is important for us to begin the process of withdrawing U.S. troops, making it clear that we have no interest in permanent bases in Iraq," he said.

Obama aides did not give details of the visit. McCain, a staunch advocate of the war and frequent visitor to Iraq, has repeatedly criticized Obama for his failure to visit the country since 2006.

Obama spoke to Zebari one day after the Iraqi official met McCain in Washington. The Arizona senator has made foreign policy and national security a campaign focus and criticizes Obama as too inexperienced to run the country.


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[Jim]

hopefully McC will be sure to take credit for forcing BHO into doing this

[Willow]

hopefully McC will be sure to take credit for forcing BHO into doing this

I agree with you. I'm not sure why McCain is handling Obama with the "kid gloves"

[Jim]

hopefully McC will be sure to take credit for forcing BHO into doing this

I agree with you. I'm not sure why McCain is handling Obama with the "kid gloves"

unfortunately I think he's hoping people will see that its the BHO side with all the nastiness.

I'm hoping that this will lead to some sort of reaganesque 'there he goes again' moments inte debates or something to marginalize barry

[Wretched Excess]

hopefully McC will be sure to take credit for forcing BHO into doing this

indeed.  BHO called this a "political stunt" as recently as a week ago.

another quote from the NYT story about the subject:

“We have no interest in permanent bases in Iraq,” Mr. Obama said. “I gave him an assurance that should we be elected, an Obama administration will make sure that we continue with the progress that’s been made in Iraq – that we won’t act precipitously, but that we will move to end U.S. combat forces in Iraq.”

link

I fully understand that this guy was going to run toward the center after he got the nomination, but this is a flip flop of galactic proportions.  there were only two differences between BHO and hillary on the issues;  health care and iraq.  her position was actually more favorable (read: socialistic) than his.  strictly in terms of issues, he got elected because he was "right" on the iraq war back when he was an irrelevant state sentator from illinios.  so much for that.



 

[Hawkgirl]

he got elected because he was "right" on the iraq war back when he was an irrelevant state sentator from illinios.  so much for that.

Actually, he wasn't even a senator yet...he just verbally "opposed the war"....maybe a community orgainzer at that point where his opinion was irrelevant.
However when he did exercise his right to vote...he always voted in favor of funding the war.....flip flop? you decide....

[RightCoast]

Barack Obama said on Monday he plans to visit Iraq and Afghanistan before November's election and was encouraged by a recent reduction in violence in Iraq.

So he's only going now that the violence is reduced?

 

[DixieBelle]

I wonder how come the Democratic controlled congress isn't going on and on about those Iraq benchmarks. Could it be because so much has been accomplished???

[Hawkgirl]

Barack Obama said on Monday he plans to visit Iraq and Afghanistan before November's election and was encouraged by a recent reduction in violence in Iraq.

So he's only going now that the violence is reduced?

 

He didn't want to come under sniper fire like his formal rival...

[RightCoast]

Barack Obama said on Monday he plans to visit Iraq and Afghanistan before November's election and was encouraged by a recent reduction in violence in Iraq.

So he's only going now that the violence is reduced?

 

He didn't want to come under sniper fire like his formal rival...

But it would give him such a great story..."spiraling down into Baghdad International we were raced, cowering in fear, to armored cars provided by Haliburton and driven by Black Water USA security guards."

[Wretched Excess]

he got elected because he was "right" on the iraq war back when he was an irrelevant state sentator from illinios.  so much for that.

Actually, he wasn't even a senator yet...he just verbally "opposed the war"....maybe a community orgainzer at that point where his opinion was irrelevant.
However when he did exercise his right to vote...he always voted in favor of funding the war.....flip flop? you decide....

he was first elected to the state senate in 1996, I believe.  I know he lost a race for a US house seat in 2000.  but I have always seen him referred to as a state senator in october 0f 2002 when he gave the speech against the iraq war.

not that it was a hard position to take;  when you are a liberal state senator from chicago's south side, opposing the iraq war is a bit of a no-brainer.

[Rebel]

he was first elected to the state senate in 1996, I believe.  I know he lost a race for a US house seat in 2000.  but I have always seen him referred to as a state senator in october 0f 2002 when he gave the speech against the iraq war.

not that it was a hard position to take;  when you are a liberal state senator from chicago's south side, opposing the iraq war is a bit of a no-brainer.

WE, I think the point is, he wasn't a U.S. Senator when he made that claim. He, as a state senator, could claim all he wanted. The vote never landed on his desk. To be honest, and I can't STAND Hillary, but it pissed me off to see him question her on her support when he was never put into that position.

**** Obama.

[Wretched Excess]

he was first elected to the state senate in 1996, I believe.  I know he lost a race for a US house seat in 2000.  but I have always seen him referred to as a state senator in october 0f 2002 when he gave the speech against the iraq war.

not that it was a hard position to take;  when you are a liberal state senator from chicago's south side, opposing the iraq war is a bit of a no-brainer.

WE, I think the point is, he wasn't a U.S. Senator when he made that claim. He, as a state senator, could claim all he wanted. The vote never landed on his desk. To be honest, and I can't STAND Hillary, but it pissed me off to see him question her on her support when he was never put into that position.

**** Obama.

no, I get it.  no national security responsibility, & etc., etc.  he never had to make that call.  in fact, I can't find anything in his legislative history that tells me that he has EVER made a tough call.  it's outrageous, but most of the dem party swallowed it.

and a lot of dem senators votes for the IWR, including the last dem presidential nominee, and his running mate.  and edwards ran for the nomination this time, too, and was never called on it.  she was the only one that seemed to be held responsible for her vote.

don't you feel dirty when you type something, and realize after you are done that it is sort of favorable to hillary?

[Hawkgirl]

and a lot of dem senators votes for the IWR, including the last dem presidential nominee, and his running mate.  and edwards ran for the nomination this time, too, and was never called on it.  she was the only one that seemed to be held responsible for her vote.

Mainly because she's the only one who stood in Hussein's way.  Edwards never had a shot at the nomination.  He had to bring Hillary down.  Cut-throat politics....the democrat way.

[Jim]

I wonder if he'll get out of the plane ?

[RightCoast]

I wonder if he'll get out of the plane ?

Why not he'd be going back to his "roots."




 

[Wretched Excess]

my prediction is that he will come back saying the exact same wrong-headed stuff that he is saying now.  he is simply incapable of admitting that he may be wrong.

[RightCoast]

my prediction is that he will come back saying the exact same wrong-headed stuff that he is saying now.  he is simply incapable of admitting that he may be wrong.

No question he will see and hear what he wants to while there.  If he goes.

[Wretched Excess]

my prediction is that he will come back saying the exact same wrong-headed stuff that he is saying now.  he is simply incapable of admitting that he may be wrong.

No question he will see and hear what he wants to while there.  If he goes.

actually, if he is smart, he will use the trip to iraq to have an epiphany, and modify his stance on iraq to something very non-committal.  his base won't dream of supporting 100-year-war mccain, and he could probably pick up some moderate support.

but that would be abandoning the ONE thing that he keeps pointing back to over and over to demonstrate his "superior judgment".  maybe he just needs to shut up about that.