Barack Obama Is Afraid Of What He Might See In Iraq
Obama Forced To Admit That He Can't Handle The Truth
By Dan McLaughlin Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Chickendoves | John McCain | Obamafiles — Comments (32) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
John McCain is a believer in seeing things with his own eyes, as a result of which he has visited Iraq several times during the current war (at least 7 at last count). McCain wrote in his 1999 memoir about how much his grandfather and father, both admirals, valued the ability to go face-to-face with the men on their ships and commanders and field troops on the ground to learn more about the men in their command and the developments in the war they were fighting (World War II and then Vietnam). It's a lesson he's carried through to his role as a Senator and now presidential candidate supporting the mission in Iraq.
Barack Obama, by contrast, has made just one brief trip to Iraq in 2006; he's seen nothing of the facts on the ground since Gen. Petraeus instituted the "surge" and accompanying counterinsurgency strategy. Obama may fancy his policy to be 'reality-based,' but the reality he's interested in is years out of date.
Sen. McCain, looking to take advantage of a classic opportunity to make political hay from this contrast while making an offer to actually educate the man who might well be Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces at war (including, yes, McCain's two sons), yesterday challenged Obama to join him in a joint factfinding trip to Iraq:
"He really has no experience or knowledge or judgment about the issue of Iraq and he has wanted to surrender for a long time," the Arizona senator added. "If there was any other issue before the American people, and you hadn't had anything to do with it in a couple of years, I think the American people would judge that very harshly."...
"I go back every few months because things are changing in Iraq," he said. McCain questioned whether Obama has ever been briefed by Petraeus. "I would also seize that opportunity to educate Senator Obama along the way."
Obama has now rejected that offer, with the following response:
We don't need any more 'facts' to know that this war has been lost. The American people don’t want any new 'facts' or 'information,' they deserve a real debate in which we say the same things we have been saying for five years and come to the same conclusions.
Oh, sorry, that's what I heard when I read it. Here's the actual wording, with some window-dressing on the same basic message:
Read On...
John McCain's proposal is nothing more than a political stunt, and we don’t need any more 'Mission Accomplished' banners or walks through Baghdad markets to know that Iraq's leaders have not made the political progress that was the stated purpose of the surge. The American people don't want any more false promises of progress, they deserve a real debate about a war that has overstretched our military, and cost us thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars without making us safer.
Obama opposed the 'surge,' proposing instead to withdraw from Iraq beginning in May 2007, with a complete withdrawal to be completed two months ago. The one thing Obama can't afford - especially while he's still courting Democratic primary voters - is to face up to new information showing that he was wrong or needs to change his preferred strategy, the way President Bush did in approving Gen. Petraeus' approach. McCain is betting that Americans want a wartime leader who actually cares what the war looks like from Baghdad to the people charged with fighting it - not what it looks like from the streets of Chicago to the people fighting against the mission.
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Barack Obama Is Afraid Of What He Might See In Iraq 32 Comments (0 topical, 32 editorial, 2 hidden) Post a comment »
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
He's willing to travel to Iran to meet with its Dictator "without preconditions," but he is unwilling to travel to Iraq to meet with U.S. troops and tell them face-to-face that he thinks they have lost. Obama needs to get his priorities straight.
And it does not even scan well as a serious thought.
What a maroon BHO is.
He really is an empty suit.
He is still stuck on 'the war is lost'....
Not even Murtha (spit on his name) says that anymore.
How unserious can BHO get and still be viable?
Truly project chaos has worked miracles for getting the dhimmies to destroy themselves.
The way Obama is acting--trying to coast on the worship of his loyal supporters--I'm beginning to think he may even refuse to debate McCain in October.
Notice that Obama has refused all challenges from Hillary to debate of late.
Obama may be the first Presidential candidate to refuse to debate his opponent from the other party since Nixon in 1972.
What's the point. Last time McCain was there, he 'saw' Petraeus rolling around in an unarmored Humvee, and he walked through neighborhoods 'unprotected, with no flak jacket.' Never mind the photos of something very different. What's the point of McCain seeing it with his own eyes, if he apparently hallucinates, or doesn't fully remember what he saw only hours ago.
I guess McCain's just fixated on being President of Iraq. It is the best place to try building sand castles.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
"Of course I'm going to misspeak and I've done it on numerous occasions and I probably will do in the future. I regret that when I divert attention to something that I've said from my message but you know that's just life, and I'm happy frankly with the way I operate, otherwise it would be a lot less fun," McCain says."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/04/60minutes/main2648779.shtml
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
It's got a whole slew of McCain gaffes.
Still, McCain's best strength is his straight talk, lack of lobbyist ties, and impressive command of foreign policy.
There is nothin like writing Pro Bush or Obama blogs to bring out the Hit and Run Wimps...Come on College Boys!...What do you got?
McCain has serious problems. The common wisdom around here is that the Liberal Media (tm) will give Obama a free pass, but they'll jump all over McCain at the first opportunity.
McCain has given the media several opportunities, but instead they say that his gaffes mean nothing because he is a foreign policy expert, and instead America gets treated to an endless stream of Wright, Ayers, and flag lapel pins. This is in part due to the extended dem primary; ABC got shredded for focusing on those three issues for a significant portion of the debate they hosted.
In short, I think you'd be hard pressed to make the case that Obama has gotten a free pass while McCain has been hard hit.
The only marginally quantifiable way to measure this is to check on the number of mentions various news items get using a Lexis search. Maybe I can get access to the database later and attempt to make a stronger case for this claim.
McCain has serious problems.
Everybody here thinks McCain is PERFECT
McCain has given the media several opportunities, but instead they say that his gaffes mean nothing because he is a foreign policy expert, and instead America gets treated to an endless stream of Wright, Ayers, and flag lapel pins.
When has McCain hung out with America haters, When has he hung out with Terrorists, When has McCain been Unpatriotic
In short, I think you'd be hard pressed to make the case that Obama has gotten a free pass while McCain has been hard hit.
Who the heck is making this case??
the only marginally quantifiable way to measure..
You spilled the beans...What school are on summer vacation from?
And...I'll need something more than a 'Humanrights america' Youtube video...McCain was doing press work...Obama is trying to get people to vote for him and making things up.
Wait the comments they ignored like the Iran and Terrorist comment they ignored by playing nonstop for 3 days?
The comments they ignored like the "100 year war" line the media itself distorts beyond belief everytime they get the chance?
Or do you mean by ignoring McCain you mean everytime he didn't know a city's name? Or that people in Afganistan don't speak Arabic? Or that we have 50 states? Or one of his other 20 screw ups and lies?
The Ayers and Wright things aren't little gaffes they are serious problems where a man trying to be Pres surrounds himself with terrorist and people who do all they can to create racial hate. These issues were first bought up over a year ago, and Obama ignored them, he knew how these people were and he didn't say a thing because they are his friends.
Obama has yet to offer a real plan for his time as Pres so what else can the media attack? McCain gave his outlook, so did Hillary, Obama instead just told us of Hope and Change, he told us that all his problems and weak spots are off limits, yet he can hit McCain on every level. He is spineless and refuses to inform us of how he'll run the country so we need to make sure everyone knows about how he really is.
And don't assume my time is precious!
But really, I have my modus operandi with libs and
I don't take orders well. But I know you mean well.
The fact is that my method has produced desired results oftentimes, so, the rooster struts.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
that he is a anti pork barrel guy. One of the few things I don't like about him is his weakness on the illegal immigration problem.
Loud, rude, full of misplaced zeal, and a brassy repetition of talking points to drown out that little internal voice that says Oops. I really messed this one up this time, huh?
That's trolling, erik_the_red. That's worth the Blam.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
Obama is willing to travel to Iran to meet with its mad Dictator without preconditions. Perhaps he could consider gracing the troops with his awesome presence "without preconditions" as well.
Obama is more interested in assuming a dhimmie posture with our enemies than in looking our troops in the eye.
"Last time mcCain was there" in Iraq was in 2008, this year, after he nailed down the Republican nomination. The trip you're talking about was not the "last time", it was April 2007.
That's already twice as many visits as Obama has made, just in the last two years.
And what happened to "listening to the generals?"wasn't that your big talking point about Bush? He didn't listen to his generals? You really don't think Obama should meet with the generals running our war there? You don't think he should visit with the troops and see the war with his own eyes?
Haven't the Iraqis met AT LEAST 12 of the 18 political benchmarks laid out for them? Apparently for the Obamas of the world, progress only counts when you can point to a lack of it.
I hope McCain asks him again...then invites him to help harvest oil shale in Colorado.
Which is at least four times more than our very own Congress has done, isn't it? One really wonders what yardstick they're using for measurement. In comparison to themselves, Iraq has come a long long way in a very short time.
Consider how long it took this country when it first tasted independence.
But unless they meet 33 of the 18 benchmarks that won't be good enough for Obama. They should go above and beyond, they should fix their government, the Russian government and have space travel before November before they can count it as progress.
If he went over there he would find out that things are getting better and there is light at the end of the tunnel. He would be forced to agree with McCain or lie about what he saw. Either way he would have another big problem to deal with in this election season. He is a lite weight who isn't up to the challenge. God help us if he is elected.....
Since Obama doesn't want to go to Iraq, McCain should go anyway and meet with as many key leaders there as possible. He can then use that in his debates with Obama ("When I was in Iraq last month, Maliki told me....").
John McCain's proposal is nothing more than political stunts, and we don’t need any more 'Mission Accomplished' banners or walks through Baghdad markets to know that Iraq's leaders have not made the political progress that was the stated purpose of the surge. The American people don't want any more false promises of progress, they deserve a real debate about a war that has overstretched our military, and cost us thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars without making us safer.
Rewrite:
Congress' proposals are nothing more than political stunts, and we don’t need any more 'Inquiries' blaming others or walks through any U.S. city to know that Congressional leaders have not made the political progress that was the stated purpose of their election. The American people don't want any more false promises of progress, they deserve a real debate about crime that has overstretched our law enforcement, and cost us thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars without making us safer.
as the saying goes. When the Iraqi elections go well this fall he is going like a fool to anyone who has not been bapitized by the Church of the Hopemessiah.
McCain '08