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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"...the significance of this is how common the Beltway reversals have become."
Posted with permission.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/hawks-conveniently-forget-their-previous-postures
Hawks conveniently forget their previous postures
10/08/14 12:56 PMUpdated 10/08/14 05:08 PM
By Steve Benen
Last night, former Bush/Cheney press secretary Ari Fleischer was in high dudgeon, condemning the White House for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq and ending one of the longest wars in American history.
{President Obama} has created vacuums all around the world because of what you just said. Hes not wanted to exercise American leadership. And time and again its turned out worse for Americas national security. [
]
The president was so willing just to wipe his hands and say, I end wars, I dont start wars, Im withdrawing everybody. He wanted to get to a position where Iraq said we wont take what youre offering.
The president was so willing just to wipe his hands and say, I end wars, I dont start wars, Im withdrawing everybody. He wanted to get to a position where Iraq said we wont take what youre offering.
As a substantive matter, all of this is just bizarre. To argue that exercising American leadership is synonymous with indefinite wars is absurd. To believe Iraqi officials were offering to keep U.S. troops in the country is simply at odds with reality.
But theres also a big-picture problem. When Obama actually ended the war and brought troops home, Fleischer was delighted, calling the presidents move the right call. The Iraq war is over, the Republican said. In reference to withdrawal, Fleischer added, Its time.
Of course, the point is not to pick on Ari Fleischers frequent contradictions, which are too common to be interesting. Rather, the significance of this is how common the Beltway reversals have become. Many of the exact same people who argued before, Its great that the troops are coming home! are now complaining, I cant believe Obama brought the troops home.
In 2010, for example, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) argued, Last American combat troops leave Iraq. I think President George W. Bush deserves some credit for victory. Four years later, McCain is outraged that American combat troops left Iraq and wants to blame President Obama for Iraqi violence.
And lets not forget former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who decided to drop a new book during the election season and spend a few weeks condemning the Obama administrations national security strategy.
As we discussed yesterday, the former Pentagon chief last week wrote a piece blaming Obamas withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq for the chaos gripping much of the country. And yet, it was none other than Leon Panetta who defended Obamas withdrawal policy, repeatedly, before he was trying to boost book sales.
Panetta now says he believes Obama should have pressed Iraqi officials to keep thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq indefinitely. What would those troops have accomplished that they didnt already try over the last decade? Panetta hasnt really said. What was Obama supposed to do about the fact that Iraq wanted American servicemen and women out? Panetta hasnt really explained that, either. Why did Panetta see a residual force as impossible in 2011, only to believe the opposite now? He hasnt offered an explanation of this, either.
And yet, Panetta just keeps complaining.
Its quite a transition for all of them, isnt it? When Obama ended the war, his policy was sensible, popular, and as it turns out, necessary in light of Iraqi officials telling us to leave their country. But conditions in Iraq have deteriorated, much of the public sees this as the result of an ineffective U.S. foreign policy, and so the White Houses detractors are scrambling to take advantage of the opportunity even if it means contradicting what they said before.
Im reminded once again of this amazing quote from Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who recently reflected on why Congress doesnt want to bother authorizing military force against Islamic State militants.
A lot of people would like to stay on the sideline and say, Just bomb the place and tell us about it later, he said. Its an election year. A lot of Democrats dont know how it would play in their party, and Republicans dont want to change anything. We like the path were on now. We can denounce it if it goes bad, and praise it if it goes well and ask what took him so long.
In context, Kingston was talking cynically about ISIS, but its a quote with broad applicability. If Iraq looks great after withdrawal, lets credit Bush. If Iraq looks chaotic after withdrawal, lets blame Obama, whether it makes sense or not.
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