Posted on 02/27/2009 4:19:31 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
What Candidate Obama promised and President Obama delivered has many of his most ardent supporters on the left -- from members of Congress down to grassroots anti-war activists -- wondering whether he can be counted on to advance the liberal agenda.
The president, speaking to Marines in Camp Lejeune, N.C, on Friday, announced that the U.S. will end the Iraq war over the next 18 months, ordering the immediate drawdown of the 142,000 troops in Iraq. The war will officially end on Aug. 31, 2010.
But Obama's withdrawal plan will take three months longer than he promised on the campaign trail, and it will leave a residual force of between 35,000 and 50,000 troops in Iraq, which many Democrats view as too high.
"When they talk about 50,000, that's a little higher number than I had anticipated," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said before a briefing at the White House on Thursday. Other top Democrats who expressed concern about the troop levels were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Charles Schumer, Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Russell Feingold.
Anti-war activists gave Obama's withdrawal plan a mixed review.
"The good news is that he has a plan and that obviously his election in no small measure was the result of the massive anti-war sentiment in the country and he understands that," said Leslie Cagan, co-founder and national coordinate of United for Justice and Peace.
"The bad news from our perspective is it's going to take that long," she said. "We think the timeline could be a lot shorter. We're also troubled by the plan to leave literally tens of thousands of troops in Iraq."
Cagan said Obama should leave no troops in Iraq.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Cagan said Obama should leave no troops in Iraq.
Let’s be realistic, bub.
The Hippies in Wisconsin, who haven’t done JACK to ensure their own FREEDOM to p*ss and moan about anything and everything...are mad, too.
Who cares? LOL!
However, it’s surprising to see factions of the Left turn on ‘The One’ only 45 days in...bodes well for our side. :)
Maybe I haven’t been paying attention.
Wasn’t there already an agreement in place between the Bush administration and the Iraqi parliament to draw down and turn things over?
I had originally thought O would have a difficult time threading the gap between his Far Left zealots and the rest of America. In the past month I see that he hasn’t tried, going far left and ignoring the rest of America. And his zealots still want more? Guess that’s why their called extremists.
BTW, the rest of America’s opinion of what is happening in Wash can be found in the performance of the Stock Market, as democratic an institution as there is. They are voting with their money and they are voting a resounding NO.
their = they’re
Get our brave troops out of all friggen countries. Why should our brave soldiers defend socialism and the hippies.
Even Obama isn’t as dumb as a brain-dead pot-smoking middle-aged hippy.
I'm not sold on most of Obama's policies, but he seems to be ready to see the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through.
I didn’t/couldn’t listen to his speech, however, I heard on Fox News that he didn’t even give President Bush credit for the victory—what a classless a**hole! I don’t know if he mentioned the magnificent job our military did—probably not!
I never expected the sudden retreat that many expected. Democrats don’t want the loss on their record, they wanted to force Bush to lose but not themselves.
On the other hand, he doesn’t appear happy about any of it himself. During his speech today he never used the words victory or democracy. He seemed to be treating the soldiers as victims.
“When they talk about 50,000, that’s a little higher number than I had anticipated,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said...........
Questions for Senator Reid: 1) Just what number did you “anticipate” (hope for / guess)?
2) How did you arrive at the number you had “anticipated”? Please explain the military analysis you used to arrive at your “anticipated” number.
“Why should our brave soldiers defend socialism and the hippies.”
Same as it ever was. I served under Carter AND Clinton. But aren’t you glad that I did?
Picture EACH of those soldiers ‘just doing their jobs.’
That’s what we do; we soldier on. :)
We always called it talking out of both ends.
You’re asking a liberal to be realistic? LOL
I have to try don’t I? LOL
You’re right, Sandy. Obambi’s going to take credit for something the Bush Administration and the Iraqi government had already agreed to do.
Obambi’s such a fraud!
Leslie Cagan has never been for “peace.” She has always been a communist activist, from the 1967 Spring Mobe thru National & New Mobe, PCPJ, Mobilization for Survival, the Vermont school, United for Peace & Justice, Committe of Correspondence (CPUSA split off), Cuban Information Project, and dozens of mixed communist fronts and causes.
Cagan works for communism and against America. It is simple as that. No excuses, no coverups, no nothing. She is red thru and thru. Always has been; always will be.
That’s how a story should characterize her.
You don’t write and say that Hitler was a politically active painter, do you?
Reality set in. It's fine to promise an immediate pullout on the campaign trail, but then you get your first security briefing and you realize you have to stay the course.
Reality sucks sometimes.
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