Obama's first salvo targets Hillary Clinton

The Daily Telegraph ^ | February 12, 2007 | Toby Harnden

[MadIvan]

Senator Barack Obama yesterday launched his toughest attack yet on his rival Hillary Clinton, blasting her for backing the "tragic mistake" of the Iraq war and voting to give President George W Bush a green light from Congress.

"It should never have been authorised," he said in Ames, Iowa, where he was campaigning the day after he announced he was running for the White House. "Even at the time, it was possible to make judgments that this would not work well.

"I feel good about the fact that my judgment was we shouldn't be proceeding and I think that speaks hopefully to the kind of judgment I'll be bringing to the office of president."

Mrs Clinton, he charged, was also vague about how she would end the war beyond promising to bring it to a close if she were elected. "How she wants to accomplish that, I'm not clear."

Mr Obama, 45, who has been criticised by the Clinton camp for a lack of experience, showed that he was not going to let his main opponents off the hook.

Both the front runner Mrs Clinton, 59, and John Edwards, 53, running a strong third in polls, were among senators who authorised the war in 2002 but have since modified their positions. At rally after rally in Iowa, Mr Obama slammed the "senseless" and "ill-conceived" war to huge applause.

Mrs Clinton, campaigning in New Hampshire at the same time, had to field hostile questions about her vote from disgruntled Democrats. Mr Obama also took Mrs Clinton's early campaign slogan of "I'm in it to win it" to suggest she was interested only in getting elected.

"I am in it to win it," he said, responding to calls from a Davenport crowd. "Hold on. But I want you to understand that I'm also I'm in it to transform the country."

At a breakfast in Iowa Falls, he appeared to take another shot at Mrs Clinton, who is often accused of excessive ambition. "I'm not one of those people who decided at the age of seven that I wanted to be president."

Mr Obama, increasingly confident of his ground on foreign policy, ridiculed John Howard, the Australian premier, for criticising his plan to pull US troops out of Iraq by March next year.

"I think it's flattering that one of George Bush's allies on the other side of the world started attacking me the day after I announced," he said.

"I would also note that we have close to 140,000 troops in Iraq, and my understanding is Mr Howard has deployed 1,400, so if he is... to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq.

"Otherwise it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric."

[pandoraou812]

Yes they will . It really bugged me when I read that because in the back of my mind I knew he had written that essay..Then when I went looking for it I couldn't find it and when I finally did I got the non-working link. I finally typed in.... I want to be President by Barry Obama and got a working link. This guy is just a liar and from what I keep reading I don't like him at all. But then again I don't like any of them...~~P~~

[GSlob]

I was talking of the general electorate, not of the dem voters. As for the dem voters, for all I know they could run bill clinton's dirty underwear without bill clinton in it.

[pandoraou812]

In most interpretations of Sharia, conversion by Muslims to other religions, is strictly forbidden and is termed apostasy. Muslim theology equates apostasy to treason, and in most interpretations of sharia, the penalty for apostasy is death. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia

However from what I have been told Muslims are allowed to lie to the Kuffar(us) as long as it benefits Islam.

[IrishRainy]

I heard a snippet of Osama's speech on Saturday on the news in which he specifically stated that he had a plan that would bring the troops home by March....of 2008!

My question would be...how is he proposing to do that? The election's not until November, and he certainly can't snap his fingers and make things happen all by his lonesome in the Senate.

I burst out laughing when I heard him say it, but nobody in the media has mentioned it, and I KNOW I didn't imagine it....or did I?

[pandoraou812]

You didn't...

[Recovering_Democrat]

Barack Hussein Obama's politics will make Hitlery look "moderate". This is the danger of Barack Hussein Obama.

[Recovering_Democrat]

I really think if Barack Hussein Obama or Hitlery became Commander in Chief, you would see military recruitment plummet. Soldiers--enlisted and officers--would quit the service when their time is up.

Maybe not the ones close to retirement, but I bet a lot of others would. JUST mho.

[IrishRainy]

So he just mispoke, then? Because I haven't seen or heard anyone in the media followup on this stupid plan of his, and I for one am wondering how he plans to accomplish this feat.

[pandoraou812]

I have not either but then I haven't heard anyone say he wrote an essay in kindergarten saying he wanted to be president yet he said Hillary wanted to be president since the age of 7 yrs old. Obama has no plan...he is just yaking. I think he is riding high on this rock star/good looks bs. How they say he has a rock star persona & good looks shows me how dumb the media & some people are. Personally I think he is a danger....I don't trust him. I don't trust Muslims and I think even if he has converted then he is a marked man because of his past link to Islam. Not what we need in the White House IMHO.

[Beckwith]

But I want you to understand that I'm also I'm in it to transform the country."

And exactly what would be the end result of your transformation, Mr. Obama?

The Socialist States of America?

[Beckwith]

Iis Darmawan, 63, Obama's teacher, remembers him as an exceptionally tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and had sharp math skills. "He wrote an essay titled, 'I Want To Become President,'" the teacher said.

[nopardons]

He's also probably a whole more scary too.

[nopardons]

Never EVER trust or vote for someone who has wanted to be president since they were little/a teen; nor whose father has wanted his child, any child of his, to be president.

[MeekOneGOP]

The Biased Liberal media is EAGER to report that Hitlery is
"Moving to the center."

Ha! Yeah, right. When pigs fly.

Check out her "Move to the center" here, per the ACU. She
went from "10" in 2003 to a GOOSE EGG (0) in 2004, on a
scale of 100 = perfect conservative.

Moving to the center? He**, she's farther left in 2004 than
EVER!

Click here or on the pic for the article.

---

Hillary's Rating per the ACU

Senator Hillary Clinton (D)
New York
Democrat, Years of Service: 4

ACU Ratings for Senator Clinton:
Year 2004	0
Year 2003	10
Lifetime	9

[tiger-one]

Have you heard him answering "off the cuff" questions, a la, no script written by his staff?

[Caipirabob]

I really think if Barack Hussein Obama or Hitlery became Commander in Chief, you would see military recruitment plummet. Soldiers--enlisted and officers--would quit the service when their time is up.

The President can retain the active duty soldiers and even recall those who have recently been discharged if there is a need for more manpower. I don't think either Hillary or Baraq Hussein would give a second thought to apllying this "inconvenience" to our soldiers.

[AmericaUnited]

Oh no, The AntiGravitas is going to start killing us with pithy statements....

[expatguy]

The link you cited it meant for American consumption.

Media not for American consumption reads like this ~

"Barry mengikuti pelajaran agama Islam semasa sekolah. Gurunya bernama Maimunah tinggal di daerah Puncak, Kabupaten Cianjur. “Saya ingat dia pernah belajar mengaji,” kata Teni."

My translation

"Barry actively took part in the Islamic religious lessons during his time at the school. His teacher was named Maimunah and she lived in the Puncak area, the Cianjur Regency. "I remembered that he had studied "menjaji" (recitation of the Quran)" Teni said.

More on Obama and Indonesian media reports at my blog

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[LibLieSlayer]

He sees an American caliphate under sharia law and he is the Prophet. New direction indeed! This mooselimb is pure evil!

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

Look up apostasi. Once a mooselimb... always a mooselimb... or you DIE!

LLS