Posted on 02/13/2007 4:41:56 AM PST by Chi-townChief
DURHAM, N.H. -- In his first stumble, White House hopeful Barack Obama on Monday took back words from the day before, when he said the lives of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq were "wasted."
Following his Springfield launch on Saturday, Obama wrapped up a three-day swing in the key primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, ending at a University of New Hampshire rally where he assailed the "trivialization of politics" where "it is all about who makes a gaffe."
In this case, that would be Obama, the Illinois Democrat.
During his first press conference as a presidential candidate at Iowa State University, Obama, discussing his opposition to the Iraq war, said the war "should have never been authorized, and should have never been waged, and on which we've now spent $400 billion, and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted.''
He immediately realized he made a mistake, he later told a reporter. Even the most severe war critics in Congress have been very careful to praise U.S. troops and say nothing that could upset mourning families.
Reaches out to families Obama, in an interview with the Des Moines Register right afterward, told the paper, ''I was actually upset with myself when I said that, because I never use that term,'' he said. ''Their sacrifices are never wasted. . . . What I meant to say was those sacrifices have not been honored by the same attention to strategy, diplomacy and honesty on the part of civilian leadership that would give them a clear mission." By Monday, reporters covering Obama making his first visit as a presidential candidate in New Hampshire, asked Obama, campaigning in a Nashua home, if military families deserved an apology.
"Well as I said, it is not at all what I intended to say, and I would absolutely apologize if any of them felt that in some ways it had diminished the enormous courage and sacrifice that they'd shown. You know, and if you look at all the other speeches that I've made, that is always the starting point in my view of this war.''
At a rally in the gym at the university here -- not quite the stemwinder Obama delivered for University of Illinois at Chicago students on Sunday night -- Obama made a similar point about the Iraq war deaths, talking about the need to "bring that war to a close."
Those who died, he said, were "extraordinarily brave soldiers."
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Obama has said he will seek forgiveness with allah. He has said he will be on his prayer rug (which is kept in the closet of his office) most of the day today.
Every time I see "Obama" I ALWAYS think/wanna say "Osama" !! :^O
Osama/Obama, whatever .....
It will be a waste--if we follow his plan, withdraw from Iraq, and leave it to Al Queda and Iran.
The whole "using" of the Abraham Lincoln analogy was completely opposite of what Obama stands for. Lincoln said "a House divided against itself cannot stand" and he led the Union in a battle with the South to preserve the Union and then to free the slaves (in a war in which 650,000 American lives were lost for these noble causes). Obama takes that metaphor and says: forget making any sacrifice for liberty or freedom, especially in the Middle East -- let's just hunker down here in America and wait for the terrorists to come over here. Oh, and let's tamp down the divisive rhetoric (you Right-Wing Bast*rds!). Some Lincoln!
If he wants to sneak in under the radar, he's a muzzie who needs a muzzle.
This guy is a bastard. What a useless piece of dog crap.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Just think: Our own US Dimocrat party curses out our troops more than any other terror group, terror enabling country, or tyrant combined. When is the last time you heard Al-Qaeda, Iran, or even Saddam call our troops "stupid" or "wasted"? Not even Baghdad Bob did that.
Yep. It appears that the Prophet Obama isn't anywhere near ready for prime time. He's already stuck his foot in his mouth so many times he has athletes tongue.....and then, there's those rabid Lefties that keep showing up to heckle him. He-He.....I love it when they eat their own.
3,000 Americans died in the first 5 weeks of the Korean conflict.
I wonder if "I-have-no-military-background" Obama thinks their lives were wasted?
I'd be the first to admit that things were different back then..
And where is his "gravitas" which we heard a million times that President Bush didn't have?
Gaffes are sometimes Freudian slips. Gaffes are often the only window through which voters can take a good look at the mind of a dissembling politician.
Politician speak for "I'll screw up frequently but they'll only be MISTAKES! Can't we all stop being so mean-spirited and just GET ALONG?"
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I hope this rat wins the nomination.
He'll be the easiest of the bunch to defeat.
It's apparent that Obama approves of some savaging.
He's willing to overlook savaging by Saddam, Uday and Qusay, who tortured, dismembered, and killed innocent Iraqis (especially Shi'ites)?
He's willing to endorse savaging by abortionists who torture, dismember and kill innocent unborn Americans
Yes.
He won't get hurt. He is too strong politically.
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