Obama To Clinton: You Should Have Been Right On Iraq "On Day One"

[babylonsister]

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/obama_to_hillary_you_should_ha.php

Obama To Hillary: You Should Have Been Right About Iraq "On Day One"
By Eric Kleefeld - March 17, 2008, 3:31PM


Barack Obama responded strongly today to Hillary Clinton's speech about Iraq, in which she accused him of choosing "silence" instead of truly opposing the Iraq War until he ran for president. His answer: Hillary is arguing about how to end a war she voted to authorize.

"It's not enough to stand up five years later in the heat of a campaign and say that you're ready on day one – you have to be right on day one," Obama said at a campaign event in Pennsylvania.

"On the war in Iraq, Senator Clinton's judgment was wrong. If we had followed my judgment, we wouldn't be standing here five years later debating how to end the war in Iraq, because we never would have fought it."

He later added: "I'm not about to allow Senator Clinton to get away with saying this is just about speeches," he said. "Because of that vote, we are less safe and less respected at home."

[easy_b94]

1. YEAHHHH!!!

[jillan]

2. Obama may want to lay off of the judgement rhetoric for a little while....

[TwilightGardener]

5. Why, did he do something wrong?

[Texas Hill Country]

8. he has flipflopped several times on Iraq since 2002.

[TwilightGardener]

10. Are you Pirhana's sock puppet?

[Texas Hill Country]

42. no, i look at the facts... like in '04 where he said Bush was on the right track?

[TwilightGardener]

43. Yeah, I read the "Commentary" magazine thing--

even the quotes provided there indicate Obama was already seeking a way to at least partially withdraw in 2004, by considering the idea of adding more troops to stabilize the country, which would allow us to eventually leave--all less than a year after the war started. That actually makes him look good. He was NEVER for an abrupt withdrawal, never for defunding, but always of a mind to bring the war to an end as carefully as possible. Thanks for reaffirming that for me!

[CakeGrrl]

12. Why?

If she wants to claim that she has better judgement to lead the nation, then he has every right to challenge that claim, since this is actually an issue that IS relevant to the campaign.

[Mooney]

16. And HRC might want to lay off of authorizing illegal wars.

I'm just sayin'.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Damn straight. She's got a fucking lot of nerve to lie and deflect away from

her OWN ginormous fuck-up, and then to say the Iraqis should be GRATEFUL for the FREEDOM we "gave" them? Oh my God, what a $%^&@#!!!

[polichick]

4. Tell it, Barack!

[Scurrilous]

6. He's right.

K & R :thumbsup:

[snooper2]

7. BAM

GOBAMA!

It's almost the 20th so expect $25 more from me this month...


GOBAMA!

[Blue-Jay]

9. That vote should have happened at 3 AM.

[Mooney]

11. Nice.

He needs to keep hammering away at that every three minutes like an egg timer.

[Noirceuil]

13. Chutzpah

Obama should have been right on Tony Rezko, Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan on day one, then maybe he could throw stones.

[Mooney]

20. How many people are dead as a result of those associations?

Oh yeah, right... NONE.

[cali]

23. Hilly should have been right on Hsu, Frank Giustra and Gupta

and the IWR is much bigger than all of that. And just today she was saying shit about how America gave Iraq the most important gift of all- freedom. Hit her hard on this Obama. Hit her hard.

[Mags]

45. Hey, he has voted to continue to monies for the war.

If he really wanted to stop this war he would have at least tried to bring about change to stop the financing of the war. After all that is his logo, Change........

[TwilightGardener]

28. More Freeper trash.

[Megahurtz]

37. ...

[PaulaFarrell]

55. Why are you here?

It's a genuine question. What inspired you last Friday to sign on to DU and start trhowing crap around? There is enough acrimony around here already, but with posters who have a history here, they are entitled to voice their opinion. When someone signs up and just immediately spews against Obama in virtually every post, I am inclined to be suspicious. Are you a Kos refugee by any chance?

[Maribelle]

14. Then why did you copy parts of her floor speech and pretend her words were yours, Obama?

Fess up.

[GarbagemanLB]

17. Are we really going back to the plagiarizing shit? Seriously?

[Maribelle]

25. When did we ever leave it?

[redqueen]

19. What?

Citation please.

[Maribelle]

30. And it wasn't even only Hillary's words he copied.

Wellstone (1) Let me be clear: Saddam Hussein is a brutal, ruthless dictator who has repressed his own people… (2) The world would be a much better place if he were gone and the regime in Iraq were changed


Obama (1) 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 …(2)The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him.

[redqueen]

34. Right.

I'm shocked and disgusted that he'd use the same description that Wellstone did.

Let me just start supporting the DLC candidate now.

:sarcasm:


Is that what you expected?

[yodermon]

39. are you *actually serious*.

:wow:

[PVnRT]

59. Yep. Saying the same thing as Wellstone diminishes his progressive credibility

[GarbagemanLB]

15. Awesome. K&R

[XemaSab]

18. A

MEN! :D

[Maribelle]

21. Somebody needs to tell Obama that 'all wars are dumb'

Mr. Obama seems to think all wars are not dumb wars.

[ericgtr]

22. Amen, another one drilled back in her face

You go Obama!

[Carolina]

24. and he should have added POORER

The USA has lost respect and standing in the world, not to mention:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[sudopod]

26. "in which she accused him of choosing "silence" instead of truly opposing the Iraq War until he ran"

I she just making it up as she goes along?

[shenmue]

27. If he's so anti-war, why does his troop withdrawal plan take 18 months, and hers takes six?

:shrug:

She can point to the fact that almost everyone else in Congress was roped into Bush's lies as well. But trust an Obama supporter not to notice small nuances such as facts and explanations.

You just want to use one person as the object of your hatred. You want to hang the entire war on one person. It's much more complicated than that.

You don't even admit that the only thing that stops a war is a treaty with the other country, not what one person in Congress can or can't do. We're all just so mad about the war that you want one person you can scream at.

It's going to take more than that to solve it and you know it.

What's she supposed to do, build a time machine? She can't do that, and neither can he, so saying the kind of crap that he said is just an impossible expectation and he knows it.

Shut up and do the best you can in the circumstances-- which is what she's trying to do now. And again, I know you won't admit that.

[washingdem]

33. Obama didn't get roped in. That's the point. He used his brain.

[babylonsister]

51. Why do you believe it will only take 6 months? How

would she know, not knowing the circumstances going into 09? :shrug: But he's 'saying...crap' while she is telling the truth? :rofl: No One knows what will happen, not even in November.

[PVnRT]

61. Maybe because his plan takes "logistics" into account?

One cannot simply pick up and move thousands of troops and billions of dollars in military hardware overnight.

Treaties require two or more signatory parties. Who will be signing for the other side? Let us know.

[1776Forever]

29. Come on Barack - We're ready!!! It's your turn now - Where are the tax records????

The Clinton Tax Returns: What's the Holdup?
Pressure Is High for Clinton to Release Her Tax Returns Since She Loaned Her Campaign $5 Million

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4421457&page=1

By AVNI PATEL
March 10, 2008

Since 1999, the couple's net worth has increased from somewhere between $1.25 million and $5.7 million to between $10 million and $50 million, according to filings. In 2006, the Clintons earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from book royalties, and former President Bill Clinton made $10 million in dozens of paid speeches.
The disclosures shed some light on President Clinton's role in two companies run by longtime friends and fundraisers. Clinton earned an unspecified amount as a consultant for InfoUsa, a data company run by longtime friend and fundraiser Vin Gupta, according to the filings. The forms also showed ten of thousands of dollars invested in funds with the Yucaipa Companies, a private equity firm run by another close friend, Ron Burkle.

............

Come on HRC where are there and what are you hiding????

[indimuse]

31. Is he TALKING about 'JUDGEMENT" again???

not a good move!

[barack the house]

32. That's pretty good comeback bet it sounded great in person.

[Adelante]

35. YES!!!!

[Megahurtz]

36. LOL!

Cool!

[DemGa]

38. Not this fairy tale again ----NT

[bigtree]

40. Obama was right on Iraq before he was wrong?

Obama on Iraq: Prior To Joining U.S. Senate

While running for senate in 2003, Sen. Obama acknowledged that he took his anti-war speech off his campaign website, calling it 'dated.' Specifically, State Senator Obama maintains that an October 2002 anti-war speech was removed from his campaign web site because “the speech was dated once the formal phase of the war was over, and my staff's desire to continually provide fresh news clips." Black Commentator, 6/19/03

Obama in July 2004: 'There’s not much of a difference between my position and George Bush’s position at this stage.' In a meeting with Chicago Tribune reporters at the Democratic National Convention, Obama said, “On Iraq, on paper, there's not as much difference, I think, between the Bush administration and a Kerry administration as there would have been a year ago. <…> There's not much of a difference between my position and George Bush's position at this stage. The difference, in my mind, is who's in a position to execute.” Chicago Tribune, 07/27/04

Obama on 2002 Iraq resolution vote: 'What would I have done? I don't know:' "When asked about Senators Kerry and Edwards' votes on the Iraq war, Obama said, "I'm not privy to Senate intelligence reports," Mr. Obama said. "What would I have done? I don't know. What I know is that from my vantage point the case was not made." New York Times, 07/26/04

In September 2004, Obama says he ' would be willing to send more soldiers to Iraq.' AP, 9/19/04
Obama on Iraq: U.S. Senate Record

11 months after joining Senate, Sen. Obama delivers first speech devoted to Iraq, says 'US forces are sill part of the solution.' "he level of his criticism lowered when he arrived in Washington. In his first year in the Senate, he delivered one speech on Iraq, calling for a phased withdrawal by the end of 2006. But last November, Mr. Obama revised that time frame, saying the drawdown should begin in four to six months." Obama's Senate web site lists his address to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations on November 22, 2005, 11 months after entering the U.S. Senate. Obama said, "I believe that U.S. forces are still a part of the solution in Iraq." New York Times, 2/12/07; obama.senate.gov

18 months after joining Senate, Sen. Obama gives first floor statement devoted to Iraq, opposes timeline for withdrawal. "…But having visited Iraq, I am also acutely aware that a precipitous withdrawal of our troops, driven by congressional edict rather than the realities on the ground, will not undo the mistakes made by this administration. It could compound them." obama.senate.gov

Upon arriving in the Senate, Sen. Obama supported every funding bill for Iraq, some $300 billion….until he started running for President. 2005 Vote # 117, HR1268, 5/10/05; 2005 Vote # 326, S1042, 11/15/05; 2006 Vote # 112, HR4939, 5/4/06; 2006 Vote # 239; 2006 Vote # 186, S2766, 6/22/06; HR5631, 9/7/06

As a Senate candidate in November 2003, Sen. Obama said he would have 'unequivocally' voted against war funding because it was the only way to oppose Bush on Iraq. "Just this week, when I was asked, would I have voted for the $87 billion dollars, I said 'no.' I said no unequivocally because, at a certain point, we have to say no to George Bush. If we keep on getting steamrolled, we are not going to stand a chance." Obama remarks, New Trier Democratic Organization forum, 11/16/03; Video

Since Obama entered the U.S. Senate, his record on Iraq is identical to Hillary's, with one exception. ABC News reported that, "In fact, Obama's Senate voting record on Iraq is nearly identical to Clinton's. Over the two years Obama has been in the Senate, the only Iraq-related vote on which they differed was the confirmation earlier this year of General George Casey to be Chief of Staff of the Army, which Obama voted for and Clinton voted against." ABC, 5/17/07; senate.gov; see chart

Top Obama advisor says, as president, Sen. Obama will 'not rely upon some plan that he’s crafted as a presidential candidate or as a US senator.' Samantha Powers, who has subsequently resigned her position, also described Sen. Obama's Iraq plan as a "best case scenario." BBC, 3/6/07

http://facts.hillaryhub.com/archive/?id=6551

[democrank]

41. Like I said before....

Hillary should beg forgiveness for her Iraq War vote, not demand enthronement.

[tabasco]

44. She voted against the American and Iraqi people and for her rotten career.

She knew goddamn well Bush was not going to use diplomacy and if anybody tells you different, they're a LIAR!

[Orsino]

46. This is the best attack against her.

I'd like to hear more, though, about how he will end the war he keeps voting to fund.

[Johnny__Motown]

47. Bullseye... why didn't she see this obvious rebuttal coming?

[Beacool]

48. Hey Obama, who gives a shit any longer about your 2002 speech?

You are still peddling that and repeating it like a mantra?????? Please, you voted alongside Hillary ever since you got into the US senate to continue to finance the war. Pander much?

[johnnydrama]

53. because

it takes an Obama to clean up after a Clinton's war vote.

[Dawgs]

57. What was wrong with supporting our troops with "finances" after the war started?

Are you seriously against this?

[PVnRT]

63. So did almost everyone else

Your point?

[Window]

49. Tell it like it is Obama!

:kick:

[BringBigDogBack]

50. K&R!!!!!!

[SunsetDreams]

52. K&R

Way to go Barack!

It's about time we had a Dem, that refused to be swiftboated!

[Cha]

54. Obama was right on target and

hilary and mccain were used as dupes by the bushits.

The m$$$$m will preDICtably try to cover up for mccain and hilary.

[BigDDem]

56. 'What would I have done? I don't know"

but I know I'll keep paying for the bombs!

[Dawgs]

58. Only a freeper or idiot would still use these talking points.

Grow up.

[BigDDem]

62. Yes I know facts are tough

"God Damn America!"

[Dawgs]

64. Who said "God Damn America", Hillary, Obama, or McCain?

:shrug:

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

60. Ha ha!! Good one Barack, keep pounding.

[JBoy]

65. Yes. He can and should take the fight to her on this subject.

Clinton: ready to triangulate on day one.