On Iraq, Obama Is Leading Like Bush Did
For Iraq being such a hot-button political issue, one that won Obama the election and lost Bush the trust of the American people, nothing much seems to be changing in terms of our nation’s policy on the war.
In June 2006, President Obama spoke on the Senate floor about how irresponsible it would be to withdraw quickly from Iraq. That November, as soon as the 2006 election cycle was over and he found himself facing Hillary Clinton in the presidential primaries, he announced the need for an immediate withdrawal. Three months before the Iowa caucuses, in September 2007, he declared that he would “have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months” of his inauguration, and that “we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq.”
To this point, Obama’s shifting positions on what to do in Iraq have been based on political considerations and not necessarily the reality of the situation there. So it is anyone’s guess what has pushed him toward the new position announced today: He plans to stay in Iraq until at least the beginning of 2012 with 50,000 troops. For those paying attention, that is exactly how long President Bush planned on staying in Iraq.
As I’ve said before, I’m fine with Obama’s plan for Iraq. The question for Obama is, will his far-left base be fine with it?
