Gen. David Petraeus
Barack Obama met with Gen. David Petraeus while in Iraq this week, and the two had what is being described as an "animated" conversation. Petraeus does not really strike anyone as an "animated" kind of person. In fact, very much the opposite is true. So, I think it is fair to say that Petraeus strongly disagrees with Obama's approach to a timetable for withdrawal, as Obama admitted yesterday. According to this report, Obama would feel no need to take the general's advice should he become President:
Mr Obama admitted yesterday that he and General Petraeus disagreed over his plan for a timetabled withdrawal of American troops and that if elected he would feel no need to take the general’s advice.
After what observers described as an “animated” conversation between the two in Baghdad on Monday night, Mr Obama told reporters in Jordan: “There is no doubt General Petraeus does not want a timetable. He wants to retain as much flexibility as possible. If I were in his shoes, I’d probably feel the same way. But my job as a potential commander-in-chief extends beyond Iraq.”
General Petraeus, like the White House and John McCain, Mr Obama’s Republican rival, want conditions on the ground to determine the pullout rate.
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Here is a clip from Sen. John McCain's remarks to a Vets for Freedom rally in Washington, D.C., April 8, 2008, just ahead of Gen. David Petraeus' report to the Senate Armed Services Committee on the situation in Iraq.
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Here is video of John McCain's time for asking questions of Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker today.
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Here is video from this morning's hearing before the Sen. Armed Services Committee, where Gen. David Petraeus made an opening statement assessing the current situation in Iraq.
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Here is video of Sen. John McCain's opening statement this morning at the hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee where Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are making a report on the progress in Iraq. McCain is the ranking member of the committee. Among other things, McCain says "the Congress must choose not to lose," and instead "choose to succeed" in Iraq.
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Sen. John McCain, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, will have the opportunity to ask questions of Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker today on Capitol Hill. The hearing is set to begin at 9:30 AM EDT. McCain will be the second to ask questions, so his turn should come during the morning hours. It should be a very eventful day in Washington!
It is doubtful that Gen. David Petraeus or Ambassador Ryan Crocker will say anything that is remotely unexpected when they appear later today before two Senate panels to update Congress on the conditions on the ground in Iraq more than 14 months after President Bush announced his plan to send nearly 30,000 additional U.S. troops to fight the war. read more »
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Here is Sen. John McCain on March 24, 2008 asking when Sen. Hillary Clinton will apologize to Gen. David Petraeus for her remarks last year ridiculing the idea that "The Surge" strategy in Iraq was working. McCain also said both Clinton and Obama are advocating a policy of "disaster and defeat" in Iraq.
UPDATE: For reference, here is Hillary Clinton's statement to Gen. David Petraeus on Sept. 11, 2007:
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Here is video of a CNN interview with Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. Commanding General in Iraq. Gen. Petraeus describes the situation on the ground in Iraq on the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War.
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
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Here is part of an article written by AP writers Dunbar, Quaid, and Gruver, that talks about the state of the race among Democrats and Republicans. This is the portion focused on the GOP, and in it we learn that sources are saying John McCain will make a trip to Europe and the Middle East "mid-March," and that he may return to Iraq and Afghanistan and hopes to meet with Gen. David Petraeus prior to his tetimony before the Congress in April:
On the Republican side, John McCain, a veteran Arizona senator and former Vietnam prisoner of war who wrapped up his party's nomination last week, was focusing on raising enough money to take on the eventual Democratic nominee in November's general election.
The Democrats have raised staggering amounts of money. Last month alone, Obama raised $55 million (euro35.67 million), and Clinton $35 million (euro22.7 million). McCain, in contrast, was on track to raise $12 million (euro7.78 million), according to his campaign.
McCain's schedule has been packed with fundraisers _ he held five in two days last week _ and he will continue to raise money in the upcoming week during a swing through the Midwest and the Northeast.
Also on his agenda: beginning the search for a vice presidential running mate, meeting with Republican congressional leaders to discuss his role in the Senate, consulting with advisers to lay the groundwork for specific policy proposals, and possibly making another trip to Iraq or Afghanistan to assess the situation.
A source familiar with McCain's plans said the trip would be for a week in mid-March to Europe and the Middle East; the source spoke on condition of anonymity because the Senate has not released details. McCain also said he hopes to meet with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, before Petraeus gives Congress a status report on the war next month.
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