Obama rewrites Iraq plan »
Posted By libsRfunny 3 months ago in NewsSen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) promised primary voters a swift withdrawal from Iraq, in clear language still on his website: "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." Not anymore.
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libsRfunny3 months ago
The "Backtrack Express" is in full gear. Does Obama say ANYTHING you can believe? Change? Yeah, you can believe he'll change his mind as quickly as he changes his word.
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pc253 months ago
in one of the last debates on MSNBC when asked about withdrawing from Iraq his response was
"I want to be as careful getting out (Of Iraq) as we were careless getting in"
tremendous wiggle room here......hey we could be there for a hundred years with him as President also........
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/06...
Tomorrow's Obama flop today?
Kristol hit the nail right on the head with this....
The next big flip for Obama, and this will make Brit even more astonished, will be on Iraq. He's going to go to Iraq, meet with General Petraeus, decide the surge is working and walk back from his immediate unconditioned withdrawal. And suddenly, it's going to be, "Well, we're going to be very careful, gradual." "Honorable withdrawal," Obama said the other day -- an honorable conclusion to the Iraq war.
the success of the surge has his campaign on the defensinve on this issue.........
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injest3 months ago
From Obama's web site
"Obama has a plan to immediately begin withdrawing our troops engaged in combat operations at a pace of one or two brigades every month, to be completed by the end of next year."
"engaged in combat"
So if someone starts shooting at the troops their to turn tail and run?
That might not send a good message to our enemies.
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injest3 months ago
From Obama's web site
"He would call for a new constitutional convention in Iraq, convened with the United Nations, which would not adjourn until Iraq's leaders reach a new accord on reconciliation."
Uhm he's going to FORCE all the Iraqi leaders into a room and they can't come out till they kiss and make up?
Or is he planning on putting the UN in "lock down" till what?
Has anyone ever read Obama the job discretion of POTUSA?
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injest3 months ago
Obama
"I said that based on the information that we had received from our commanders that one to two brigades a month could be pulled out safely, from a logistical perspective. My guiding approach continues to be that we've got to make sure that our troops are safe and that Iraq is stable."
BTW what a bout the Marines Navy and Air Force?
All he mention's are brigades
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doggammit3 months ago
"his audience has changed"
Yup. He's looking at the entire country now, just like McCain - and trying to attract parts of the republican demographic by co-opting old issues and dressing them up in new semantics - rhetoric etc.. That's quite normal for EITHER camp - but rather more obviously hypocritical in this instance since we now have a microscopic Internet view of day to day flips - flops - wafflespeak - coming at us from both sides.
No wonder the presidential chair is so "mystically charged". It's cloaked in ambiguity from start to finish. Transparency, consistency, public accountability, democratic responsiveness and stability of stated policy projections do not seem to fit into the electoral equation - and politicians are not particularly hard pressed to give answer to these obvious shortcomings - although plenty of collusion exists in both MSM and grassroots levels to produce the impression of normalcy.
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doggammit3 months ago
As such, we must ask ourselves if we are not electing emperors rather than leaders of a democratic republic in a kind of sham lottery meant to placate the constitution rather than serve under it. A post modern electoral version of "enlightened despotism" seems to have taken root in many places - the EU, Russia, China - etc. It's nice to know we are "in fashion" - just not terribly reassuring when it comes to picking and choosing from a political system that remains bureaucratically aloof and primarily dedicated to gilding the status quo. Tomorrow - whether is is McCain or Obama - there will be no sudden change of anthems - only variations on an old theme - a mixed chorus of curses, blessings - with a dull bureaucratic ear in the conductor's chair making sure that the folks in the rich seats are well entertained.
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libsRfunny3 months ago
Probably haven't had a true statesman in office since Reagan. Before him, might have to go back to Truman. Not sure about Ike.
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JoseMadre3 months ago
I don't mind changing a position when a situation changes, like the oil price explosion, but I have a problem with positions changing simply for political expediency. Almost as bad, maybe worse, is if these position changes are a result of not actually having studied the situation before.
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Klarissa3 months ago
I think that is the problem - he had not studied the problems. He just had help with his speeches and read them off of the teleprompter.
His big problem: he had no opinions of his own on any subject. That comes from never been in a position where the responsibility was all his.
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aniokly3 months ago
I think it is fine to change your mind if you discover the situation has changed. The problem for the Democrats, their whole strategy for winning the election in the Novembe was to have them bring our military home in retreat, and defeat. Damned if our military didn't up and begin to win in Iraq, and now they have to look like naive, inexperienced, wussy guys who cannot lead. If I wasn't someones sweet little old Grandmother I would sure enjoy watching Obama, Reid,Turban Durbin, & Pelosi, suffer in their own stupidity.
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mompro3 months ago
Defeat and retreat. I don't recall that at all. Sadam is dead, their election is over, now it is time for Iraq to deal with the issues at hand as our country has since it's inception and will continue to. I don't believe that is retreat or defeat. I think it is an honorable withdrawl now that ridiculous objectives have been met, which have since been proven unnecessary. I would think our only reason for staying would be to put the country back together. But, since we've been doing that for years now, we can go. Good luck to them. As for your phrase "begin to win", I would think we would be after over 5 years. We are the greatest military on earth aren't we?
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aniokly3 months ago
When you withdraw from a war zone before the war is over it not withdrawal, it is retreat. Wars only have timetables on T V, and in romance novels. In real life you fight until you win. You might want to check with you leader Obama. He is about to change his mind about bringing the troops home like he changed his mind about NAFTA, Faith Based inititives, and retroactive immunity for the telecoms. Actually, it is begining to look like it is Obama running for a third Bush term. He still won't get my vote, because I think he is lying in his teeth to get centrist voters.
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dandt16123 months ago
What happened to day one? He is proving me right all the time. HE IS the status quo.
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abntv3 months ago
"going to do a thorough assessment."
This thorough assessment is going to be based on what????
His extensive knowlege of the military and their capabilities in the field?
His extensive knowlege of the political situation in Iraq??
His extensive knowlege of the middle east???
This guy is an elitist, arrogant typical political hack.
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DeadXXXManXXXTalkin3 months ago
this should be a good thread
I've voiced my fears over Obama pulling out of Iraq on here before, because I've heard 3 different things said by him on the Iraq pullout-and one of them was 'I don't want to say-it's a fluid situation and things may change'.
There's also the fact Obama voted for continued funding for Iraq
Compare that to Ron Paul's answer ['immediately'] and Paul's vote on funding
I hate to say it and still feel a vote for McCain is a vote for the consummate waffle King, but I would not be surprised if Obama WHEN elected suddenly reverts to his 'fluid situation' and pi$$es on all the people who voted him in there, not unlike the 06 midterms with the D's being voted in due to dissatisfaction with Iraq
so yeah, Obama's a politician
trust at your own peril
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libsRfunny3 months ago
The increasingly long list of U-turns this charlatan has pulled since beginning his campaign should be more than enough to stifle the Obama-worshipers from labeling McCain a flip-flopper.
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NoWayMan3 months ago
the story says obama is going to do a thorough assessment og the situation. and its about time someone did.
wish bush woulda done that six years ago. if he'd done that back then, there'd be no need for a thorough assessment now.
and I'm sure Obama's assessment won't have him coming back saying that being in baghdad is like being at the state fair in indiana. that was McCain's assessment of the situation when he was in iraq. what a joke.
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mompro3 months ago
Don't slam the possible next President for having to come up with a plan to end this war and get our families reunited, even if it is unchanging.
The strategy for what to do changes every single day we are in Iraq, and every day after for the next 5 generations on how it was accomplished.
I don't want some pig headed jerk, like we're dealing with now to make it his job to just keep saying, "Stay the Course", without any thought for things that change day to day just being stubborn and doing it one way and one way only.
Things change, battle lines change, conditions change. Bringing our soldiers home safely is not something we an do with the landing of a plane and jumping on. I pray that Obama's advisors are exactly that. Good Advisors.
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aniokly3 months ago
Your possible President (not likely) has no plans about anything. He has changed his mind about NAFTA. Didn't like it, now he does. Second Amendment, wanted it only for certain people, and he will decide who that will be. His Democrat gun ban in Chicago certainly worked well. The law abiding people gave their guns up, so Obamas people chould defend themselves from each other. Every week-end there are 20 to 30 drive by killings, and woundings. He caved on the Immunity deal for Telecoms. We think they are involved in a gang war in Chicago, and cannot make waves this close to the National election. Obama is fun to watch, but he is no leader by any stretch of the imagination.
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Albmore3 months ago
Any American who believes troop withdraws should not be done in a caeful matter has NO respect for those men and woman who lives could be in danger. I am refering to OUR troops. In my eyes this war should have been continued by the Clinton era when the cease fire agreement was broken.
The second part of this war was extemely mismanage at the beginning. To many people trying to run the game. Colon Powell would have probally been the best man for the top job after his great success in the first war.
It is time America let Our Generals do what they our suppose to be doing. I am happy to hear that Obama is in contact with Gen. Powell because I beleave he can get our troops back home safely.
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TonyByron3 months ago
Some on the left are already unhappy with the O-man.
"So many of you are upset that I pulled back my credit card last night, making a last minute decision to hold back on a $2,300 contribution to Obama."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/1/05546/22...
"I can unequivocally say: the Obama campaign is making a very serious mistake. Tacking to the center is a losing strategy."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffingto...
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simonsez3 months ago
Arianna may be right on this one. As he wanders into areas he is not really in touch with, will he turn off more votes on the left than he picks up on the right. I don't know.
He does seem to be waffling like a politician trying to please everyone. We do like our Presidents to stand for something. He stands for change and keeps changing.
Is this what he meant all along?
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david_nwpa3 months ago
I agree. I am not sure I see any waffling or changes in his position. Thanks for sharing this article libs, but I am not sure how this helps your man, McCain. Seems to me, he was the one who thought it a good idea to keep sending in troops for a century. Not sure I want my grandkids over there fighting for oil.
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aniokly3 months ago
How long have you been following Obama, and his stands on the Iraq issue? Did you not seen any of the debates where he swore ot whatever God he has he would immediately pull out, and bring our troops home? It is only now when we are winning this bogus little man wants to take part in finishing the job.
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nostalgia3 months ago
February 20, 2008
In his victory speech in Texas Tuesday, Barack Obama promised to end the Iraq war in 2009, a new commitment that parallels recent opinion pieces in The Nation.
Prior to his Houston remarks, Obama's previous position favored an American combat troop withdrawal over a sixteen-to-eighteen-month timeframe.
Ending the war in the first year of his potential presidency, therefore, is the strongest stand Obama has taken thus far
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080303/hayden
Now he's back to:
After months vowing to get US troops home from Iraq, Barack Obama has succumbed to the war's political entanglements, struggling to explain his plan in the light of recent security gains.
Obama last week said he may "refine" his policies after meeting US commanders in Iraq on a trip expected this month.
Obama says he can get most US combat troops home within 16 months, leaving behind a smaller force to fight terrorism and protect the US embassy.
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cloud153 months ago
So you're saying Obama never actually planned and promised to pull out our troops from Iraq? I mean isn't that what he's been running on this entire time? I for one haven't believed him for one second. Pulling out of Iraq in the current situation, no matter how we arrived at this point, is just plain irresponsible. We NEED to finish the job and bring stability to the region. Sadly for us, that job will depend mostly on the Iraqi government. Until they get their act together, there is little hope for victory in Iraq.
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nostalgia3 months ago
It looks like you are learning what I realized a long time ago - all politicians say whatever they must to get elected
Obama is the consummate politician - he was so adept he was able to deceive many people and convince them he was actually different. He was just better at it than most. He could only get away with that ruse for so long
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cloud153 months ago
Personally I don't believe Obama will be able to get out of Iraq if elected president. If he looks at the situation logically, finishing the job is a much better choice then pulling out before the Iraqi government can hold the country together. I think we need to put much more pressure on the Iraqi government because our success depends on their progress. Without a strong government in Iraq, we lose. Plain and simple. If we pull out before the Iraqi government is strong enough the region will fall into far more chaos than it is in now. Everything we worked for for the past 6 years will fall apart and we will be is a worse position than when this whole debacle started.
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quackpot3 months ago
The Bush administration has had nearly zero success in persuading the Iraq do-nothing government to do something other than chow down at the never ending gravy train of U.S. dollars that is being thrown at them. After five years of experience of near zero progress, it is ludicrous to suggest that more of the same will have much effect in prodding the Iraqis to get their act together.
The Iraq "government" needs to be put on notice that the gravy train is about to end and that it is time to get to work.
After five-plus years of this nonsense, it is time to JUST-SAY NO to more of the same.
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tiredofwhiners3 months ago
A very obvious change on Obama's part, but a change to the better. Next will be a change to supporting offshore drilling? I think he is learning/changing as he goes because he doesn't seem to have a clue what most Americans want or what is best. Can we trust that he will stick to his changed positions in his effort to win? I prefer a candidate who has a record to back up his positions and some real experience. McCain wins on that one but has changed also (to the better). We need a President who will know what to do without his campaign advisors telling him what to do. Maybe not possible what with
