Obama remarks on Iraq prompt flip-flop charge

[Gunny]

Didn't I just say I wouldn't vote for Obama if he wouldn't promise to withdraw troops by the end of his term? I don't see how that's partisanship. I have a very strong opinion on the war. I found Obama before he got popular in the media, because he was one of the few who actually "got it" with the war of terror in iraq. It wasn't until I went to see him speak, that I knew he would get us out of Iraq. I made a character judgment, and decided Obama is the man. Maybe he tricked me. Maybe I'm foolish. But I'm going with my instincts and supporting the ONLY politician that makes me feel even better to be an American.

I'd say most Americans have a strong opinion on the war. I also think most Americans realize it's not so simple as yanking our troops out of Iraq.

Obama is hardly the only one or "one of the few" who "gets it." Obama was never going to be able to just yank our military out of Iraq, if he even said that. I have heard or seen the claim that he made such a statement, but I have never seen his actual statement on the matter.

If elected, he's going to take his plan to the JCS and the Chariman along with a nondescript colonel are going to take him down to about the 3rd underground level in the Pentagon and explain to him "why not." And all he's going to be able say is "Oh ... I see," and THAT will be the end of that.

The goal has always been to get our combat forces out of Iraq. An arbitrary, staged withdrawal regardless circumstances would be foolish and disasterous. Whether or not you agree with why we are there, the fact remains we ARE there.

Something else you might want to consider insofar as your political party is concerned ... not all liberals and/or Democrats are on the "just pack up and leave no matter the consequences" bandwagon. If Obama is elected and does pull our combat forces out, the USofA better come out smelling like a rose or you'll be looking at a repeat performance of the past 40 years with only two Dem presidents.

 

[Foxfyre]

I'd say most Americans have a strong opinion on the war. I also think most Americans realize it's not so simple as yanking our troops out of Iraq.

Obama is hardly the only one or "one of the few" who "gets it." Obama was never going to be able to just yank our military out of Iraq, if he even said that. I have heard or seen the claim that he made such a statement, but I have never seen his actual statement on the matter.
QUOTE]

From his website, I think this is pretty darn close:

In 2003 and 2004, he spoke out against the war on the campaign trail;

In 2005, he called for a phased withdrawal of our troops;

In 2006, he called for a timetable to remove our troops, a political solution within Iraq, and aggressive diplomacy with all of Iraq’s neighbors;
In January 2007, he introduced legislation in the Senate to remove all of our combat troops from Iraq by March 2008.

In September 2007, he laid out a detailed plan for how he will end the war as president.

Bringing Our Troops Home
Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.
Barack Obama | Change We Can Believe In | Iraq

And this at least at one time was on Obama's website:

Barack Obama's Statement on the Anniversary of the Mission Accomplished Speech
| May 01, 2007
Chicago, IL- Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the Anniversary of the "Mission Accomplished" Speech.

"Four years after President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier and declared 'Mission Accomplished,' we are still in a war where more than one hundred American service members have died in just the month of April. We grieve for them today and urge the President to avoid making another tragic mistake by signing the bill that will end this war and bring our troops home. "

"We are now one signature away from ending this war. The majority of the American people and their Congress now agree that there is no military solution to the conflict in Iraq, and that the best way to pressure the warring factions to reach a political settlement that can end this war is still a phased withdrawal of American forces with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 30th, 2008. It is time to end this war so we can bring our troops home and redeploy our forces to help fight the broader struggle against terrorism and other threats of this new century."
Barack Obama | Change We Can Believe In |

Of course this directly contradicts this statement of his in 2004:
Obama: Don't Bring The Troops Home - Circulating In Republican Oppo Precincts...Obama On Iraq From 2004

For the life of me, I don't see what there is to this guy to generate such unswerving loyalty and devotion from his disciples or how esteemed members of the media can dismiss and never challenge this kind of stuff. He scares me.

 

[Chris]

I'd say most Americans have a strong opinion on the war. I also think most Americans realize it's not so simple as yanking our troops out of Iraq.

Obama is hardly the only one or "one of the few" who "gets it." Obama was never going to be able to just yank our military out of Iraq, if he even said that. I have heard or seen the claim that he made such a statement, but I have never seen his actual statement on the matter.
QUOTE]

From his website, I think this is pretty darn close:



And this at least at one time was on Obama's website:


Of course this directly contradicts this statement of his in 2004:
Obama: Don't Bring The Troops Home - Circulating In Republican Oppo Precincts...Obama On Iraq From 2004

For the life of me, I don't see what there is to this guy to generate such unswerving loyalty and devotion from his disciples or how esteemed members of the media can dismiss and never challenge this kind of stuff. He scares me.

Uswerving devotion to this ridiculous occupation is what scares me!

 

[Gunny]

It's still early ...

But you are right I was taking a cue from the last election, in particular.

And you're right I haven't seen McCain supporters say these things ... yet. I did pull that one out of my ass.

If/when these types of statements do start flying around the Interwebs I'd be willing to bet they'll be coming from Obama supporters and not McCain's because folks just don't seem too excited about McCain.

You're probably correct in your last. People are about as animated over McGrampa as he is animated period. Are you trying to say he actually has supporters? Maybe to hold his socks up.

Personally, I think anyone that threatens to leave should.

 

[Gunny]

Uswerving devotion to this ridiculous occupation is what scares me!

People who are strategically and tactically incompetent scare me. In that, you and Bush appear to be peas in a pod.

 

[Gunny]

I'd say most Americans have a strong opinion on the war. I also think most Americans realize it's not so simple as yanking our troops out of Iraq.

Obama is hardly the only one or "one of the few" who "gets it." Obama was never going to be able to just yank our military out of Iraq, if he even said that. I have heard or seen the claim that he made such a statement, but I have never seen his actual statement on the matter.
QUOTE]

From his website, I think this is pretty darn close:



And this at least at one time was on Obama's website:


Of course this directly contradicts this statement of his in 2004:
Obama: Don't Bring The Troops Home - Circulating In Republican Oppo Precincts...Obama On Iraq From 2004

For the life of me, I don't see what there is to this guy to generate such unswerving loyalty and devotion from his disciples or how esteemed members of the media can dismiss and never challenge this kind of stuff. He scares me.

In other words, he's going to withdraw out troops but not really, huh?

I actually have NO problem with turning Iraq's interal political/religious struggles over to Iraq's. The decision to invade was a very shortsighted one, IMO, and we should defnitely not gotten mixed up in their internal politics. It's their country and their freedom ... let THEM fight for it.

We've established a government for them and the Iraqi people were allowed to vote democratically for their representatives. We've built them an army and police force. Time for them to assume responsibility for their own future and for us to quit enabling them to be dependent on us for their security.

But again, arbitrarily jerking our forces out regardless circumstances at this stage in the game is even more shortsighted than the decision to invade was.

 

[Foxfyre]

In other words, he's going to withdraw out troops but not really, huh?

I actually have NO problem with turning Iraq's interal political/religious struggles over to Iraq's. The decision to invade was a very shortsighted one, IMO, and we should defnitely not gotten mixed up in their internal politics. It's their country and their freedom ... let THEM fight for it.

We've established a government for them and the Iraqi people were allowed to vote democratically for their representatives. We've built them an army and police force. Time for them to assume responsibility for their own future and for us to quit enabling them to be dependent on us for their security.

But again, arbitrarily jerking our forces out regardless circumstances at this stage in the game is even more shortsighted than the decision to invade was.

Noting that the quote function seems to be screwed up. Your post preceding this one attributes words to me that I didn't say and I presume you are responding to Kirk instead of me. At least I hope so.

And here it appears I am quoting myself instead of Gunny.

Having said that, Gunny's assessment is mostly right on. I even quoted Obama earlier on stating that he might have voted with the majority re invading Iraq had he been privy to the available intelligence and had had a vote at that time. Since then he has been all over the place in what 'he would have done'. Personally I think it is too early to know how shortsighted the invasion was until we have some more distance behind us in order to evaluate the outcome.

I recently saw an extremely well documented history on Saddam Hussein's Iraq and the very real danger he posed to both his own countrymen who unnecessarily died by the hundreds of thousands during his regime, the danger he posed to the stability of the Middle East and therefore the security of the free world. I admit the invasion is now unpopular. I'm not ready to say that it was a bad thing.

 

[Chris]

People who are strategically and tactically incompetent scare me. In that, you and Bush appear to be peas in a pod.

So setting up a Shia government in Iraq allied with Iran is a good thing?

 

[sealybobo]

So setting up a Shia government in Iraq allied with Iran is a good thing?

It's a given. Should have thought about that before you got rid of Saddam.

Sorry PNAC. Your radical plans are failing!!!!

Now if you want to defend PNAC's plans, let's do it.