Home Mobile Archives Reader Blogs Register Login

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Obama In 2007: The Surge Won’t Work

Here’s Barack Obama speaking out against the decision to “surge” troops into Iraq:

I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there.  In fact, I think it will do the reverse.

So when will Obama apologize for being wrong about the surge?  Or even just admit that he was wrong?

And isn’t the fact that he was, in fact, horribly wrong about the surge a rather strong bit of commentary about his foreign policy acumen in general?

Comments

Avatar for JustSayin'

Yet Obama was “horribly” right in saying we shouldn’t have gone into Iraq in the first place.

No need for a surge, no need for 4200 funerals nor $1 trillion in new debt either, when you look at it from a rational perspective.

JustSayin' on July 29, 2008 at 03:11 pm
Rob
Rob
19145 comments
Send a private message

Yet Obama was “horribly” right in saying we shouldn’t have gone into Iraq in the first place.

I have two responses for that.

First, the Iraq war and the liberation of millions of Iraqis (not to mention the sea change we’ve affected in the middle east) was absolutely worth it.

Second, at the time Obama made the statement above the question of invading was a moot point.

I know you liberals want to keep debating issues that were pressing in 2003, but that debate is over.  We invaded.  We’re there now.  The question was: How do we win?

Obama didn’t want to win.  He wanted to lose, either because he was too shortsighted to see the possibility of winning or because losing was politically expedient for him.

Neither option is attractive.

Face it: Bush was right about Iraq.  He was right to invade.  He was right that the war could be won.  He was right that Iraqi could be turned into a democracy.  And when we finally leave Iraq a stable American ally with a representative government where there was once a rogue, oppressive, terror-supporting nation Bush will, once again, have been right.

The President has by no means been a perfect leader.  He’s infuriated me on more than a few issues, but on Iraq he got it right.

There’s no way around that.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

robport.gif border=0

Rob on July 29, 2008 at 03:16 pm

Gee, Barry O seems to be stubborn.
Haven’t we been told that’s a bad trait to have in a President?

Kevin on July 29, 2008 at 03:18 pm
Avatar for JustSayin'

Face it: Bush was right about Iraq.  He was right to invade.  He was right that the war could be won.  He was right that Iraqi could be turned into a democracy.  And when we finally leave Iraq a stable American ally with a representative government where there was once a rogue, oppressive, terror-supporting nation Bush will, once again, have been right.

5 million refugees, a government closely allied with Iran and Sharia law do not a democracy make, no matter how many rugs Lindsay Graham can pick up for $5.

Even ignoring the loss of blood and treasure that this country has suffered the last five years, there is an enormous cost in terms of lost opportunity diverting resources from the real war against terrorism - in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Al Qaeda in those regions is infinitely stronger and more dangerous than they would have been had we not taken off on an excursion to Iraq.

Bush was flat wrong about the cost and the outcome of the war in Iraq. And we’ll be paying the price for decades.

JustSayin' on July 29, 2008 at 04:11 pm

Let’s see here… Mr. Obama who wrongly contradicted General David Petraeus by declaring that the “surge” would not only fail but exacerbate the situation in Iraq, is the one who now contradicts Petraeus again by setting an arbitrary timeline for withdrawal when the General who knows not just the situation but military strategy and tactics far better than Obama could ever hope to has flatly stated that doing so is the wrong thing to do.

So, instead of acknowledging that he was wrong in 2007, Obama compounds that mistake by going against the General again, on yet another matter of military strategy.

One of the most important traits of a real leader, not a platitudinous poseur, is knowing how to allow those who are qualified and serve under you to actually do the job for which they are qualified.  Another strike against the inexperienced Mr. Obama.

Ellinas’ previous retreat into constitutional verbiage aside, Obama’s qualification to serve as this nation’s Commander-in-Chief is rapidly diminishing.


“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

Bat One on July 29, 2008 at 04:52 pm

Obama is a moron, just listen to the collection of gaffs that he has accumulated this summer.


Check out:
Goon’s North Dakota Red Neck
Goon’s World

goon on July 29, 2008 at 07:32 pm
Avatar for RebTex

And while he will admit no wrong, he want’s to have his hatchet men scour through Bush’s executive orders.
.
“Barack Obama told House Democrats on Tuesday that as president he would order his attorney general to scour White House executive orders and expunge any that “trample on liberty,” several lawmakers said...”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080730/ap_on_el_pr/obama
.
.
..
Of course, he won’t go back to clinton’s orders.
Wasn’t a close friend helped out by clinton in the last hours?

RebTex on July 29, 2008 at 11:11 pm

Because these people do not apologize.  They have no shame.  I ran into some people like this my last year of teaching school.  Even after the facts came out, they did not apologize.


Communism is evil

Chief RZ on July 30, 2008 at 06:40 am

Dead-on Chief,

That is their MO.  They don’t argue to debate an issue.  They argue to get them into a position of power and their positions are forever mutable as to whichever best suits them at the moment.

Ex: Bob Packwood and the then candidate-Justice Thomas were dead meat and should be eviscerated for their heinous crimes; but for a Clinton that carried on an affair with an intern his daughter’s age, felt up a married, unpaid assistant who was desperate in asking for a paying job and very likely viciously raped Juanita Broaddrick it’s all MoveOn.org

Bill Clinton molested an intern ON the job in the oval office, and has numerous credible rape allegations against him .... MoveOn.org was formed precisely to defend his indefensible behavior.

No apologies.  No mea culpa.  No admission of guilt, wrongdoing, or even I made a mistake.

- Change the subject
- Attack your accusers
- Laud your purported leaders as if they have always been right
- Claim credit for the successes of others
- Blame their enemies for the messes they themselves created
- Sleep well at night


...for great justice

Move_Zig on July 30, 2008 at 07:54 am

Monica Lewinsky was over twenty one. Thus legaly fuckable. Clinton did not molest her. She was a willing participant. The fact that he was old enough to be her father means nothing. A lot of old men copulate with younger, legaly fuckable females.

ellinas on July 30, 2008 at 08:15 am

It’s illegal in an employment situation to use your power to sexually use a subordinate.

Molest might be the wrong word, but what Clinton did was against US law.


What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.


The Whistler's signature
The Whistler on July 30, 2008 at 08:53 am
Page 1 of 1        

Post a Comment


Before commenting, please recite:

Grant me the serenity to ignore the trolls,
the courage to debate with honest opponents,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Name   
Email   
URL   
Human?
  
 

Upload Image    

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Note: Notifications will only be sent to confirmed email addresses.

    

By submitting your comment you agree to our terms of service.