Obama's boast

[Alamom]

http://washingtontimes.com/article/20070726/NATION03/107260084/1008


Inside Politics
Greg Pierce
July 26, 2007
Obama's boast



"At a closed-door, off-the-record meeting with media mavens and corporate titans at the Time Warner Center in Manhattan Tuesday evening, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., the freshman senator who just three years ago was an Illinois state senator, said he had better judgment about foreign policy than any presidential candidate in either party," Jake Tapper of ABC News writes at abc.go.com.

" 'One thing I'm very confident about is my judgment in foreign policy is, I believe, better than any other candidate in this race, Republican or Democrat,' Obama said.


"Others in the race have spent decades in the foreign policy world, including Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who visited 82 countries as first lady, Vietnam veteran Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and former Vietnam prisoner of war Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz," Mr. Tapper said.


"But Obama said, 'The notion that somehow from Washington you get this vast foreign policy experience is illusory.'

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Obama Was Absolutely Correct On The Iraq War From The Start

Which demonstrates starkly that he is a better judge of foreign policy than Mrs. Clinton and Edwards.

No foreign policy is as nearly so important as war.

[Tellurian]

4. Actually, early on, Obama made the statement he didn't know how he would vote..

At best, his recent statements add nothing to verify his original claim of not knowing. Foolish of him to take a stand on something he can't verify in writing or some other source of verification. All we have is his word and his word is slowly crumbling into dust. Why doesn't he just shut the hell up and move on.

[Ethelk2044]

6. Where is the Link

[elizm]

38. No link because it is a lie. nt

[killbotfactory]

9. Obama's position at the time is stated right here.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama's_Iraq_Speech

[Tellurian]

15. How much of the wiki source was written by Obama?

Another thing...Does Obama think he's going to get away with insulting all the other presidential contenders by saying he's better than they are with regard to foreign policy? He's opened Pandora's Box with his next foolish statement..

[Dawgs]

30. That WIKI post is from a speech he wrote and gave in 2002.

It looks like you obviously think it was a good one.

[alteredstate]

25. Link doesn't work

Please post Obama's exact words - not from Wikipedia. Thanks.

[never cry wolf]

13. Actually, before the war started he came out publicly against it

On Oct. 2, 2002 he gave a speech at the federal plaza in Chicago.

http://www.barackobama.com/2002/10/02/remarks_of_illinois_state_sen.php

clip---------

After September 11th, after witnessing the carnage and destruction, the dust and the tears, I supported this administration's pledge to hunt down and root out those who would slaughter innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would willingly take up arms myself to prevent such tragedy from happening again. I don't oppose all wars. And I know that in this crowd today, there is no shortage of patriots, or of patriotism.

What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.

What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income - to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That's what I'm opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics. Now let me be clear - I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power. He has repeatedly defied UN resolutions, thwarted UN inspection teams, developed chemical and biological weapons, and coveted nuclear capacity. He's a bad guy. The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him.

But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history. I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.

There is also a wonderful interview he gave on local tv before the war demonstrating on how well he grasped the situation, please watch it.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8768075780816296974&q=obama+iraq+against+interview&total=18&start=0&num=100&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

edited to add: at the end of the interview in the second link he clearly states he would have voted against the IWR. Which no other candidate who had a vote did.

[Hippo_Tron]

31. Thanks, I'm bookmarking this thread for future reference

In case anyone thinks Obama had no position on the war in 2002, just because he was not in the Senate.

[sandnsea]

2. Hunter? McCain?

You trust their judgment over Obamas? Why?

No, not them? Then why Clinton or Biden? Oh, no reason at all.

Obama's judgment is just as good as anybody elses, he believes its better. You don't need to sit in Washington DC to gain wisdom on international matters.

[Alamom]

12. Biden, Clinton, & Richardson.....

I didn't write the first article or this one.....however, I think we shall hear from many who have traveled the world over for decades regarding "Obama's Foreign or International Experience" comment.......

http://www.bloggernews.net/18899

>
Obama should also flash those dubious foreign policy credentials to Sen. Joseph Biden, who is the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and sits on the subcommittee on Technology Terrorism and Homeland Security. Biden also led efforts to combat hostilities in the Balkans in the 1990s, traveling there on numerous occasions and arguing for war crimes investigations and NATO air strikes. In fact, his “lift and strike” resolution helped convince President Clinton to take action against human rights violations there.

>

Sen. Hillary Clinton, who rubbed elbows with world leaders for eight years as first lady and currently sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee as well as committees on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, and on Readiness and Management Support.



Sen. Obama should tell New Mexico governor Bill Richardson his foreign policy judgement doesn’t measure up to his. A former Ambassador to the United Nations and staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richardson was elected to congress in 1982 and kept his keen interest in foreign policy, traveling to Nicaragua, Guatemala, Cuba, Peru, India, North Korea, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Sudan to represent U.S. interests.

Richardson also successfully negotiated the release of American prisoners from Sudan, North Korea, and Iraq.

As Ambassador to the United Nations, Richardson represented the United States in UN proceedings regarding Palestine and the State of Israel.

Finally, just last January, he brokered a 60-day cease fire between al-Bashir and leaders of several rebel factions in Darfur.

[sandnsea]

16. McCain and Hunter have resumes too

A resume doesn't equate to sound judgment.

Although, Bill Richardson does have results to match his resume, and promotes the same kinds of change Obama does, more in some cases. But considering he and Biden have similar experience, I wouldn't say Richardson's judgment necessarily came from sitting in Washington DC. That's the point.

[Hippo_Tron]

26. You are confusing judgment and experience

Obama did not say "I have more foreign policy experience than all of the other candidates." That statement would be objectively false.

Obama said that in his opinion he has the best foreign policy judgment.

[Alamom]

36. Not me.......maybe he is. He also said this,

"But Obama said, 'The notion that somehow from Washington you get this vast foreign policy experience is illusory.'

I believe this falls into "Who has experience" territory.

[Tellurian]

3. Obama is over the Top... Going into meltdown mode... making wild assertions..

This time he's given the media the "meat" to forensically check on his claims. I don't foresee a positive outcome for Obama, embattling himself in exaggerated wishful thinking. We might we witnessing the dousing of a flame burned so bright, it blinded it's source to the realities of the political world. If you make the claim, someone is going to verify the authenticity of your words.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. How is it a wild assertion, he's running for President for god's sake

HE IS SUPPOSED TO PROMOTE HIMSELF. It isn't a wild assertion to state that you are better than the other candidates, it is what you are supposed to do. Otherwise there is no point in running.

[democratsin08]

11. i agree

he is dragging down the whole party.

[Ethelk2044]

5. He is correct.

[durrrty libby]

He saw the latest polls and he is acting in desperation

[Hippo_Tron]

7. Serious question

Why would you expect a candidate to not say that they have better foreign policy judgment than anyone else running. Certainly you can't expect Obama to say "Well other candidates have better foreign policy judgment than I do, but you should vote for me anyway." Self-promotion is in the job description of presidential candidate.

I could understand if you were criticizing a third party for stating that Obama has better foreign policy judgment than the other candidates, but why do you expect a candidate to say that other candidates are better than they are? That kind of defeats the purpose of running for office.

[Tellurian]

10. The important thing is...the truth is as obvious as the nose on Obama's face..

why lie about it and make yourself look foolish? Jeopardizing your credibility, because your tripping over your pride and not able to state who you really are. Next thing you know, he'll be saying he has as much presidential experience as Bill Clinton.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. But you're not bashing what he said, you're bashing him for saying it

And I find that absolutely ridiculous.

If Hillary had make that same assertion I would probably bring up her vote for the IWR and say that evidence suggests otherwise. But I would never accuse her of making ridiculous assertions or desperate statements. Candidates are supposed to say that they are the best for the job. That is the entire point of running.

[Tellurian]

18. No one is against self-promotion in an election cycle..

but when a candidate makes an outrageous insulting comment... I'm not bashing him...I'm bashing the mind that thought of the retaliatory meme that backfired on them even if it wasn't Obama choice of words. But the fact is if his team thought he could "sellit" as a possibility...is well, just plain stupid!

[Hippo_Tron]

19. How was his comment outrageous and insulting?

Outrageous and insulting would've been something like "Hillary Clinton isn't qualified to run a sanitation department, let alone a country."

Obama stated that in his opinion he has the best foreign policy judgment. I can easily see how that opinion could be construed as incorrect by those who do not agree with Senator Obama. I don't see how that opinion could possibly be construed as outrageous or insulting, particularly when it is coming from the candidate himself.

[Tellurian]

21. I think you've forgotten the topic of the thread..It's not JUST about Hillary...

Here is what Obama said:

" 'One thing I'm very confident about is my judgment in foreign policy is, I believe, better than any other candidate in this race, Republican or Democrat,' Obama said.

That is insulting to (read the OP)

[Hippo_Tron]

24. I've read the OP, I still don't see how it is insulting

He even added in the words "I believe" which synonymous with "In my opinion". He did not criticize or attack anyone in this statement. He did not say "My judgment is great, the other candidates have horrible judgment." He merely stated that in his opinion he has the best judgment and therefore he is the best person for the job.

[Tellurian]

28. Ask Biden and Dodd if they feel inferior to Obama's purported foreign policy expertise.

After all, Obama's self-proclaimed, 'better than all of them' expertise, must be true, because he said it-right?

[Hippo_Tron]

29. Biden and Dodd would say "I strongly disagree with Senator Obama"

They would not say "I am insulted by Senator Obama's outrageous assertion that he has better judgment than I do."

[sandnsea]

17. Only Hillary can speak

She's also the only one who can take money from PACs and lobbyists, support the war, sling mud, and a whole host of thing that her supporters take others to task for. :crazy:

[never cry wolf]

20. I just noted the original source, the Mooney Times, lol...

It's bad enough when C_Span quotes the mooney times, it should only be used here to laugh at.

[Tellurian]

22. The quote belongs to Obama.. no matter the publication..

" 'One thing I'm very confident about is my judgment in foreign policy is, I believe, better than any other candidate in this race, Republican or Democrat,' Obama said.

[Hippo_Tron]

23. I was about to note that I trust the Washington Times as much as I trust the National Enquirer

[JTFrog]

27. Which is as much as I trust the OP.

About as much as I trust the source. :shrug: His quote. Their spin.

I'm glad others here understand. I'm sure you think it would be convenient for Hillary if Obama were to shut the hell up and move on. But I doubt that's his plan.

[Dawgs]

32. He is right!!

Why do you hate so much.

[Dawgs]

33. Well he was right about the Iraq war.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama's_Iraq_Speech

Vidoe--> http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid901176778/bclid900482168/bctid659820802

Hillary, Edwards, and Biden were wrong.

[Enrique]

34. don't all candidates say they're the best?

isn't this a pretty typical kind of boast?

[Bitwit1234]

35. Obama MIGHT be correct in that he has good ideas

but what I see wrong about him in this respect is he is boasting HE is the one that knows best what to do.

ALL the other candidates set down a plan they would try to improve this country's standing in the world...what in the hell makes Obama think HE is the one that knows best. Seems to me he has the god complex already and he is even the candidate. A little humility might be in order. Make him more acceptable.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

37. Remember the last guy who boasted he was so great in foreign affairs? nt