Obama on Iraq Trip: “I Am There to Listen”

[Hope And Change]

Obama on Iraq Trip: “I Am There to Listen”

Sunday, July 13th, 2008

The Senator http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/obama-picks-senators-as-iraq-partners/">talks about his upcoming trip, and other topics, aboard his campaign plane.

Confirms that Sens. Reed and Hagel will join him in Iraq, and says “We have one president at a time, so I’m not going to be traveling to negotiate anything or make promises.”

Adds that his “core position” is “we need a timetable for withdrawal.”


Plus:


On a possible speech at the Brandenburg Gate: “I want to make sure that my message is heard as opposed to creating a controversy… I don’t want the venue to be a distraction.”

On Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac: “I think we need to watch carefully and see how it plays out before we make a decision about which steps need to be taken, if any.”

On his fundraising: “I think you guys should wait until we release our numbers to make a decision as to how underwhelming they are.”


http://thepage.time.com/2008/07/13/reed-to-join-obama-and-hagel-to-iraq/">Link

[Arkana]

1. Wow, a President who won't shoot from the hip.

Is it sad that this excites me?

[babylonsister]

2. After 8 years of a man who made no sense, what a breath of

fresh air! Thanks, Hope And Change, for this and for all you do! And Recommend!

[SparkyMac]

3. "A listening tour" ? Where have I heard that ? nt

[babylonsister]

4. Anyone w/o much experience to go in there and 'assume'

he knows the answers is a dimwit, as was/is the dim one. I'll take someone who wants to actually learn any day of the week.

[muryan]

11. Good contribution

Well, not really

[scarletwoman]

16. ...

:rofl:

[gateley]

20. I must have missed where Obama called it a 'listening tour'. Link? nt

[ensho]

5. he will be listening to neo con Top Brass 'speak'

nt

[TwilightGardener]

6. That's why he's taking two trusted "bullshit debunkers" with him.

I really think they're the best choices to go and steer Obama through the dog and pony show--and neither Reed nor Hagel will be intimidated by the brass and ribbons. Obama once again shows his smarts as manager.

[CK_John]

7. If he perceived as a manager and not a decision maker he will be toast in Nov. n/t

[TwilightGardener]

8. He'll be both effective manager and effective leader. He has the absolutely

correct attitude for this trip--to go and learn what he doesn't know, and take people with him who are more concerned with finding fact and truth than in making photo ops and scoring political points.

[Inuca]

18. Do you know the shortest definition

of what a manager is? A decision maker.

[ensho]

9. I see, thank you

nt

[TexasObserver]

10. OMG! He's there to listen! It's Radical! It's ... EXOTIC!

I love the way he subtly chides the media for repeatedly trying to foment something out of nothing. They're reduced to parsing his words to find a reason to hyperventilate. Meanwhile, McCain can't remember what state he is, what his name is, or what position he's taking today that he never took before 2008.

[Brigid]

13. Excellent summary.

This is exactly what is going on. :yourock:

I, too, am liking Obama's approach to this trip. He knows he has to get the facts before he does anything else, like a doctor diagnosing a patient's problem before beginning treatment.

[TexasObserver]

14. he knows they're trying to set a trap, and he's too smart for it

The trap is "say you've already made up your mind, can't be budged from it, and we'll beat you down with shrill charges that you won't listen to the commanders on the ground!"

He's good at not giving the media the toehold they beg for.

[Cha]

12. Rec'd..Thanks

for this Hope And Change & thanks to Obama and the crew he's going with to Iraq.

I saw headline that said "Chomsky: Bush & Cheney Always Saw Iraq as a Sweetheart Oil Deal"

By Noam Chomsky, Khaleej Times Online. Posted July 12, 2008.

<snips>

"The deal just taking shape between Iraq's Oil Ministry and four Western oil companies raises critical questions about the nature of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq -- questions that should certainly be addressed by presidential candidates and seriously discussed in the United States, and of course in occupied Iraq, where it appears that the population has little if any role in determining the future of its country.

Negotiations are under way for Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP -- the original partners decades ago in the Iraq Petroleum Company, now joined by Chevron and other smaller oil companies -- to renew the oil concession they lost to nationalization during the years when the oil producers took over their own resources. The no-bid contracts, apparently written by the oil corporations with the help of U.S. officials, prevailed over offers from more than 40 other companies, including companies in China, India and Russia."

<more>
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/91123/

You think this is why mccain wants a "100 years in Iraq"?

[gateley]

21. Kind of OT to HIGHLY recommend reading Chomsky's article at the link zidzi provides.

It made more sense to me than anything else I've read about our foray into Iraq.

[Cha]

27. I know, gately..

we were wearing NO BLOOD FOR OIL pins provided by UnitedforPeace&Justice when we Protested the impending War On Iraq on Feb 15, 2003 when the World Said No To War.

[scarletwoman]

15. Thanks for posting this. Damn, he's good!

I'm also getting excited to see what his June fundraising numbers are going to be. There's any number of DUers to whom I'd love to say, "Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it!"

sw

[gateley]

22. I may be one of them --

because I was (am?) sincerely concerned. If I was just being paranoid and was way wrong, I will gladly welcome your telling me to put it in my pipe and smoke it. Or worse. :hi:

And I hope I AM wrong, by the way.

[scarletwoman]

24. For YOU, I'd be happy to provide something a little nicer to smoke in your pipe.

:smoke:

I don't mind concern coming from you, gately, because I know it's sincere and untinged by animus. It's the gleeful doomsayers, bitter dead-enders, and self-righteous ideologues that I'd love to see having a few choking fits.

:hug:
sw

[Imagevision]

17. "I Am There to Listen" - excellant, (tell me something good-tell me something I don't know)

[Inuca]

19. They are also going to Afghanistan

which to me at least was not clear until today. An informative article from the Providence Journal http://www.projo.com/news/politics/content/reed13_07-14-08_LSARL11_v3.1ebe79b.html

After Obama offered details of the trip to reporters as they flew to a San Diego campaign event last night, Reed and Hagel confirmed their role in what promises to be a politically significant mission for the first-term senator from Illinois, who is running for president with a resume comparatively light on defense and foreign policy issues.

West Point graduate Reed and decorated Vietnam veteran Hagel, who are close friends, have significant backgrounds in national security, as well as contacts they have shared with Obama in preparation for the trip.

The three plan to meet with top U.S. military commanders and civilians and senior Iraqi and Afghan leaders, as well as lower-ranking troops, civilians assigned to the war zones and members of the forces from other nations in the American-led coalition. For security reasons, the senators have not released details of their itinerary, except to say that they will travel “later this summer” to get “a firsthand look at the security and political situation in these two important countries for American national security,” according to a statement from Hagel and Reed.

In Iraq, the three-man congressional delegation “will examine whether the tactical buildup of U.S. troops has resulted in the progress necessary to resolve Iraq’s political differences, provide basic services to the Iraqi people, and create long-term stability,” the release said.

More at link

[Muttocracy]

26. hadn't head that either - thanks! nt

[gateley]

23. Hadn't seen Reed mentioned before your post.

Some DUers have been suggesting him for a while. I wasn't familiar with him, so went to his site. VERY impressive!

Obama/Reed? :7

[Tutonic]

25. Smart politician. Hagel because he is Republican and opposed

the war. Reed because he has a long military and fiscal background. Mcbush should be digging the grave. Cause that's where he's headed.