Posted on 07/26/2008 4:47:11 PM PDT by flyfree
Here's the good part:
In Iraq, it’s not new that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has wanted to take control of his own country. But there’s always been this gap between his assessment of his abilities and American commanders’ saying he’s not up to it. As president, faced with that difference between what he says he can do and what the commanders say he can do, how would you choose between them?
Iraq is a sovereign country. Not just according to me, but according to George Bush and John McCain. So ultimately our presence there is at their invitation, and their policy decisions have to be taken into account. I also think that Maliki recognizes that they’re going to need our help for some time to come, as our commanders insist, but that the help is of the sort that is consistent with the kind of phased withdrawal that I have promoted. We’re going to have to provide them with logistical support, intelligence support. We’re going to have to have a very capable counterterrorism strike force. We’re going to have to continue to train their Army and police to make them more effective.
You’ve been talking about those limited missions for a long time. Having gone there and talked to both diplomatic and military folks, do you have a clearer idea of how big a force you’d need to leave behind to fulfill all those functions?
I do think that’s entirely conditions-based. It’s hard to anticipate where we may be six months from now, or a year from now, or a year and a half from now.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
No titles for evil Republicans? What a punk!
Why isn’t McCain pointing out that Obama’s program is the same as Bush’s now?
His “sober” mood?
Well, at least his sudden sobriety explains his behavior for the last year.
Obama’s Sober Mood .. he quit drink huh?
I'm starting to wonder if John McCain really wants to be President.
He did. I’m trying to find a link to the source. But this is what Hot Air has:
“Today Barack Obama finally abandoned his dangerous insistence on an unconditional withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by making clear that for the foreseeable future, troop levels in Iraq will be ‘entirely conditions based.’ We welcome this latest shift in Senator Obama’s position, but it is obvious that it was only a lack of experience and judgment that kept him from arriving at this position sooner.
“John McCain has always held the position that any withdrawal from Iraq must be based on conditions on the ground. With the incredible success of the surge, which John McCain advocated, it is increasingly likely that U.S. troops will be able to withdraw with victory in hand. John McCain had long urged Barack Obama, who opposed the surge, to return to Iraq in order to see the immense changes in the security situation there since his last visit. Now that Obama has finally met with General Petraeus, it appears that he has also come to the conclusion that troop levels in Iraq must be based on the conditions on the ground.”
I also like Wolffe’s set-up to the question. “you’ve been talking about those limited missions for a long time..” then Obama answers with “entirely conditions based” and that doesn’t even get a follow up???
Somehow, this will be Obama’s stance all along and McCain now agrees to it.
He reminds me of an alzhiemer's patient in a home mumbling. "I told you so. I was right. I told you so."
I swear this quote takes the cake for me. He is almost saying that he talked Maliki into keeping us around for a while and that he has always thought that.
“I also think that Maliki recognizes that they’re going to need our help for some time to come, as our commanders insist, but that the help is of the sort that is consistent with the kind of phased withdrawal that I have promoted.”
Yes, yes. Got to appear thoughtful. But then, on the other hand, there's all that money we're spending in Iraq that I would like to get my hands on for more important things...like the Obama Project for Eliminating World Poverty.
Newsweek’s Richard Wolffe is completely up Obama’s @ss.
He reminds me of an alzhiemer's patient in a home mumbling. "I told you so. I was right. I told you so."
Ummm .. He was right and he was championing the Surge when even Bush and Rumsfeld were against the Surge as late as the Fall of 2006.
What, exactly, is wrong with pointing that out?
How does championing the policy that turned the war around constitute Alzheimers?
With your constant McCain bashing, do you people actual want Barack Hussein Obama to be Commander-in-Chief?
His alleged message is much bigger than I was right on the surge, but he keeps gettin sidetract back to it.
"What is your plan for lowering gas prices Senator McCain?"
"Well, I think we should drill more in some places, but not in the Grand Canyon and I was right about the surge. Joe Biden was wrong about the surge. I told him too. Obama was wrong about the surge too, but I was right! I told ya so. They said I was crazy. I never mmmmmplft!. When is today?"
Nothing more needs to be said.
Because, like all of the other "gifts" that are handed to him, he fumbles it and his staff have taken the stupid pills?
Wolffe is an MSNBC political analyst, and appears frequently on Countdown with Keith Olbermann.
Campaign for America’s Future
Take Back America 2007
User Profile for Richard Wolffe (rwolffe)
Joined: May 09 ‘07
Last login: Jun 11 ‘07
May 12, 2008...cover story, Newsweek’s Richard Wolffe and Evan Thomas juxtapose Democratic talking points about the sliminess of Republicans (“successfully scaring voters since 1968”) and testimonials to the managerial wizardry of Barack Obama (“he has ‘grace under fire’”) and present the entire package as an insightful look inside “The O Team.”
Yes. This is the depth of character that evolves from an affirmative action education followed by a career as a "community organizer". Ever wonder what a "community organizer" does? Well, he does whatever his Democrat/Union thug bosses tell him to do,that's what. This guy is complete and utter fraud.
What happened to the 16-month retreat? I thought Obama claimed Malaki agreed with that (not that he ever did)?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.