War in Iraq
Apparently John McCain hit the mark when he said that Barack Obama had devised his strategy for Iraq even before he left on his great adventure to the Middle East.
In Obama's first "Real Press Conference" during his trip, he was asked several questions by reporters. That is in contrast to the "Fake" press releases which preceded it.
Near the end of this clip, Obama clearly says that he would listen to General Patraeus' advice and then try to decide for himself if he would take it.
Second guessing a Commander in the field who is trying to fight a war simply to decide if you want to spend the money somewhere else is preposterous! It shows you why Obama voted against funding for the troops. He thought he could spend the money better somewhere else.
Here is the clip of today's press conference in Jordan:
Apparently there was a followup question to Obama's answer where he mentions Patraeus.(We don't know the question because it was off Mic. But here is a transcript of Obama's answer to the followup question:
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QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
OBAMA: Well, no. I mean, look, you know, I think, again, the notion is is that either I do exactly what my military commanders tell me to do or I'm ignoring their advice.
No, I'm factoring in their advice but placing it in this broader strategic framework that -- that's required.
OK? Thank you very much, everybody."
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It's almost like he could not believe that he received a followup question and of course he did not have a coherent answer.
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Statement by the McCain Campaign
ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, McCain 2008 Senior Foreign Policy Advisor Randy Scheunemann issued the following statement:
"Barack Obama has said repeatedly that, if elected President, he would summon the Joint Chiefs of Staff and give them a new mission: get all U.S. forces out of Iraq within 16 months, regardless of the conditions on the ground. Today, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen, the nation's highest ranking officer, made clear that he believes such an approach could be 'very dangerous.' Admiral Mullen further added that his view is shared by U.S. commanders in Iraq, who are 'adamant about continuing progress, about making decisions based on what's actually happening in the battle space.' Barack Obama says he wants a 'safe and responsible' withdrawal from Iraq, but is stubbornly adhering to an unconditional withdrawal that places politics above the advice of our military commanders, the success of our troops, and the security of the American people. Barack Obama is wrong to advocate withdrawal at any cost just as he was wrong to oppose the surge that has put victory within reach. It is a strategy for defeat, and it is the only strategy Barack Obama has ever supported."
Udate: Video of Mullen:Timetable for withdrawal is Dangerous
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McCain's Deputy Communications Director Tucker Bounds discusses Obama's trip abroad.
Obama just doesn't get it. He is unwilling to admit that he was wrong about the surge. Instead, he panders to the far left to ensure huge amounts of cash for his campaign. It's the George McGovern syndrome of the new millennium and it will end with the same result.
Obama now has to stick to his widrawal plan. If he has an epiphany after his trip to Iraq it will be as transparent as his experience and his ability to become the leader of the free world. It's just not there.
Now the Obama camp is whining about McCain fighting back. The fact is McCain is just telling the truth about Obama.
How many video clips (In context) have you seen that show McCain flip flopping on the war?
Here is a Fox News Video of McCain telling the rookie the facts.
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Statement by John McCain on Recent Iraq Progress
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on recent progress in Iraq:
"Progress between the United States and Iraq on a time horizon for American troop presence is further evidence that the surge has succeeded. Most of the U.S. forces used in the surge have already been withdrawn. When a further conditions-based withdrawal of U.S. forces is possible, it will be because we and our Iraqi partners built on the successes of the surge strategy, which Senator Obama opposed, predicted would fail, voted against and campaigned against in the primary. When we withdraw, we will withdraw with honor and victory. An honorable and victorious withdrawal would not be possible if Senator Obama's views had prevailed. An artificial timetable based on political expediency would have led to disaster and could still turn success into defeat. If we had followed Senator Obama's policy, Iraq would have descended into chaos, American casualties would be far higher, and the region would be destabilized."
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Here is the latest McCain Conference call hosted by Jim DeMint,Randy Scheunemann,and Kori Schake. They disuss Obama's position on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Click Image to Listen
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Here is a link to a great side-by-side graphic of how Obama changed his website over the weekend to reflect his changing opinions of Iraq. Now it seems that the surge is working. Before it was a huge failure.
Click here to see the comparison
HatTip: Johnmccain.com
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Senator Lindsey Graham compares Obama's views on the war in Iraq to McCain's views and those of the Generals on the ground.
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Obama has released some of the details surrounding his Iraq trip scheduled for some time this summer. It was obvious to most that he would combine his trip to Europe and the Middle East to coincide with his trip to Iraq.
I wrote about it on July 6th in "Obama's Corkscrew Landing..."
From Fox News
Obama Details Trip to Iraq, Afghanistan
SAN DIEGO — Barack Obama is revealing some details about his upcoming trip overseas.
Obama will be heading to Europe, Iraq and Afghanistan. He adds that he’ll be in Iraq to listen, not negotiate. As he puts it, “One president at a time.”
The Democratic presidential candidate says he’ll travel with two Senate colleagues, Republican Chuck Hagel and Democrat Jack Reed. Reed was an Army Ranger. Hagel earned two Purple Hearts in Vietnam. Both have been mentioned as possible Obama running mates.
Obama says he also hopes to resolve German officials’ concerns about using the Brandenburg Gate as a backdrop for a speech in Berlin. The chancellor questioned whether the historic backdrop should be used for a foreign politician’s campaign speech.
The Democratic presidential candidate spoke as he was heading to California, where he’ll address the National Council of La Raza. Republican rival John McCain, who is taking today off, addresses the Hispanic group tomorrow.
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From JohnMcCain.com
Obama's Evolving View of Military Power
Nobody's done more to try and figure out Obama's position on Iraq than Michael Crowley, and yesterday he followed up up with an attempt to trace Obama's use of the word "stability" in his public statements on the subject.
The peg is Obama's comment last week that his "guiding approach continues to be that we’ve got to make sure that our troops are safe and that Iraq is stable." That "stability" was now a criterion for withdrawal set off a frenzy, though Obama subsequently assured the press he meant to indicate no change in his position. Likewise, Crowley was told by the campaign that Obama "has long talked about 'stability' as a component of his Iraq plan," but the only evidence Crowley could find was this quote from last July:
“We have not lost a military battle in Iraq. So when people say if we leave, we will lose, they’re asking the wrong question,” [Obama] said. “We cannot achieve a stable Iraq with a military. We could be fighting there for the next decade.”
If Obama hasn't changed his position on Iraq, this would seem, at the very least, to suggest a fundamental change in the way Obama views military power. A year ago he did not believe military force could bring stability to Iraq. Now the strategy he opposed has done just that and Obama's statement reflects that success by acknowledging the link between the current stability and the presence of U.S. troops.Of course, it wasn't always so. Obama's judgment of the surge has...evolved.
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This, along with the fact that Obama does not know the role of the Joint Chiefs, is stunning when you consider he wants to lead the greatest country in the world.
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