Posted on 08/31/2010 8:43:08 AM PDT by Qbert
The White House sought on Tuesday to put the pressure on top Republicans to say whether they support the withdrawal of 90,000 troops this month from Iraq.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs questioned GOP leaders — in particular, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) — to say where they stand on the change in mission in Iraq that resulted in the withdrawal of tens of thousands of U.S. troops from the country.
"I think what the American people would like to know with Congressman Boehner is: Do you support the withdrawing of 90,000 troops that the president is marking today?" Gibbs said Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America."
The pressure on the GOP comes as President Obama is set to deliver his second Oval Office address this evening to mark the change in mission, pivoting from a combat mission to a training and peacekeeping posture.
Boehner and other Republicans have jabbed at Obama for not having supported the surge undertaken by his predecessor, President George W. Bush, while Obama was still a senator and presidential candidate. To that end, Boehner will deliver a speech at the American Legion on Tuesday afternoon criticizing Obama and other Democrats over their previous handling of the war in Iraq.
“Some leaders who opposed, criticized and fought tooth-and-nail to stop the surge strategy now proudly claim credit for the results,” Boehner will say, according to excerpts published by The New York Times.
Taking to the talk-show circuit Tuesday morning, Gibbs said that the president had been a supporter of pursuing troop increases to help secure Iraq, but not without pairing it with a type of diplomatic surge, a strategy Gibbs said ultimately would prove successful.
"The president did oppose the surge," he said. "But while the surge did provide some increased security in Iraq, what happened was a political transformation a long time after the troops were sent to Iraq."
Gibbs did again say that Obama is likely to call Bush, probably later Tuesday morning, though the press secretary was more coy over whether the former GOP president, whose record on other issues has been under attack by Obama and Democrats during these elections, would receive credit in the president's address.
Instead, Gibbs turned the pressure to congressional GOP leaders.
"I think it's going to be interesting to hear from Republican leaders on where they stand on the decision to bring 90,000 troops home from Iraq," the press secretary said on MSNBC.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will have kind words for the winding-down of the Iraq war during a speech in Lexington on Tuesday, but will credit the Bush administration for those successes.
“By adopting the Bush administration's plan for winding down the war and transitioning security responsibilities to the Iraqi military over time, the president has enabled us and the Iraqis to build on the gains our troops have made," McConnell will tell the Commerce Lexington Public Policy Luncheon. "Thankfully, we can say today that our troops, the surge and the Petraeus plan all succeeded where many in Washington thought they would fail.”
Provided 'some *increased security*'?? Like SEIU thugs at an Obama rally?
Why?
Political cover?
He does not need one single republ;ican to approve anything
FUBO
It took you 6 MONTHS to decide to add troops.
Political cover? Yes he’s out of people to blame.
ML/NJ
ML/NJ
GOP pressures WH for release of standard records (birth certificate, school records, prior passports, etc.)
“Political cover?”
Yep. If Iraq gets worse from this point on, he simply wants to spread the blame around, and let the MSM take it from there...
“He does not need one single republ;ican to approve anything.”
Exactly.
Arrogance, it’s what’s for dinner.
Simple response would be, “Yes, we support President Obama following the plan established by his predecessor.”
The GOP should blame Bush.
They are looking for someone to blame when it goes bad.
If they can get republicans to say they don’t support the withdrawal they will call them warmongers. If they can get them to say they approve when the crap hits the fan over there they can say well, you approved it.
It’s like the question, How often do you beat your wife.
“And who is Gibbs to be asking questions of the House Minority Leader anyway”
The Kenyan is desperate to reverse his falling polls.
I bet America rejects the Kenyan’s taking credit for Iraq.
Why is the Kenyan calling W? To prevent him from commenting? I hope W is smart enough to avoid a Kenyan trap.
“And who is Gibbs to be asking questions of the House Minority Leader anyway”
The Kenyan is desperate to reverse his falling polls.
I bet America rejects the Kenyan’s taking credit for Iraq.
Why is the Kenyan calling W? To prevent him from commenting? I hope W is smart enough to avoid a Kenyan trap.
“Why does it matter what Republicans would like? Obama is going to do whatever he wants.”
The guy has no problem in making decisions about taking vacation after vacation. ;-)
Why?
Political cover?
He knows Iraq will explode and wants some RINO’s aboard just in case. Obama, thanks to Biden’s big mouth, now owns Iraq, and the Republicans should leave him to it.
“GOP pressures WH for release of standard records (birth certificate, school records, prior passports, etc.)”
It would be amusing to see the WH reaction to this. Republicans should say that until and unless this request is satisfied they will adopt the Democrat’s approach to military matters:
“Yes, we support this today, but if anything goes wrong, we’ll criticize you six ways from Sunday and claim we never supported these troop withdrawals.”
The GOP has no say. Their opposition to Obamacare didn’t matter to the administration.
So why is Gibbs trying to use US troops as a “campaign issue”?
Obama is already declaring “campaign promise accomplished” in spite of his “refusal to hang a banner like that Bush guy”.
Cut and run. And spitting on the troops who made up the surge. It was all about the Iraqi flip flop. That’s really what turned things around.
Obama and Biden opposed the surge and are unwilling to admit it worked.
What a weenie. Maybe he should ask Bush for a permission slip. I guess he can’t make this decision as C-O-C because this job is above his pay grade. No need for the Republicans to step into this one. The WH/MSM will be out to bait the Republicans to provide a distraction from the economy.
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